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Cricket Players‘It was just an outpouring of emotions’: James Anderson on his celebration after getting the ‘big wicket’ of Virat Kohli
Anderson getting Kohli for a first-ball duck was a sigh of relief for England as the hosts were struggling to breach the solid opening stand put by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul before lunch.
England pacer James Anderson ran in jubilation at Trent Bridge after dismissing India skipper Virat Kohli for a golden duck on the second day of the first Test. It was an ‘unusual’ experience for the 39-year-old who had just equalled Anil Kumble’s tally of 619 Test wickets.
Anderson getting Kohli for a first-ball duck was a sigh of relief for England as the hosts were struggling to breach the solid opening stand put by Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul before lunch. Ollie Robinson got Rohit and then it was Jimmy who got Pujara and then Kohli on consecutive deliveries, that too, in a similar fashion. From 97/1 at the stroke of lunch to 112/4 in the second session, the visitors suddenly found themselves in a spot to bother.
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After the rain played the spoilsport and forced early stumps, Anderson spoke about the moment that pumped confidence in the veins of English players – Kohli’s wicket.
“I feel like I’ve challenged Virat in that area before. He either played or missed or left it. He’s always been good enough to sort of get through and today it was just one of those days where he nicked it. Getting Kohli out that early was quite unusual,” Anderson said at the end of the day's play.
Speaking about his elated celebration, Anderson said, “He’s such a big wicket. To bowl the ball exactly where I wanted it to and for him to nick it as well. It was just an outpouring of emotions to get the team back into the game. Getting their best player out is something that doesn't happen all that often.”
Anderson revealed that the strategy was to bowl to the Indians on the fourth stump line that paid dividends as he got Cheteshwar Pujara (4) and Kohli off successive deliveries to swing the match in their favour.
“To be honest it’s not really something that we thought about too much, particularly to him. What we try to do as a group is trying to challenge that fourth stump area, the defence as much as possible. Obviously to get a couple of quick ones like that is really important, especially with Virat being such an influential player for them. Always good to get him early,” Anderson said.
India are 125/4 with KL Rahul (57*) and Rishabh Pant (7*) at the crease and the visitors are trailing by 58 runs in the first innings before an early stump was called due to rain.
