England pace bowler James Anderson and India captain Virat Kohli were at each other’s throat during the second Test. On Wednesday (August 25), the first day of the third Test here, the 39-year-old England veteran got the better of the talismanic Indian batsman having him caught behind for seven to complete his assault on India’s top-order.
Kohli’s misery didn’t end just there. Even as James Anderson and his England teammates celebrated the dismissal, which was the veteran pacer’s 629th Test scalp, the Barmy Army – a group of English fans – gave him musical farewell.
As Kohli trudged back to the pavilion with his head down, the English fans kept singing, ‘cheerio, cheerio’ (said as goodbye).
This was the seventh time that Anderson has scalped Kohli in Test match cricket. The England pacer has joined Australia spinner Nathan Lyon as the bowler to dismiss Kohli the most number of times in the longest format.
The India skipper, who has aggregated only 69 in four innings of three Tests, failing to get even a half-century, had a war of words with the veteran England pacer on the fourth day of the second Test.
The Barmy Army had released a video on the incident. According to the video, Kohli got offended after Anderson had apparently said something.
“What was that? Huh?,” asked Kohli. “Swearing at me again? Like Jasprit? Huh?”
Anderson responded, “You can swear at me all you want. No one else can.”
Kohli then said, “You play by your own rules. You’re calling me a fucking prick for running too? This isn’t your backyard!”
The 39-year-old England pacer said, “I think bowlers can run through the crease too.”
Kohli then sealed the conversation saying, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.. chirp, chirp, chirp. This is what old age makes you do.”
Here’s how social media reacted…
50* for Virat Kohli. 50 inns without an Int'l century for Kohli, last Int'l century was against Shakib-less Bangladesh in India on 23rd November 2019. Kohli's Test average since 1st January 2020 is 23.00 (11 Tests, 18 inns, 414 runs). Most over-rated cricketer ever. #Cricket
— Daniel Alexander (@daniel86cricket) August 25, 2021
King Kohli for a reason.. pic.twitter.com/nLm4UemCrb
— Nishant Sharma (@srcsmic_enginer) August 25, 2021
Thank you Kohli, happy retirement life #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/2H6fRMEI0P
— Ctrl C + Ctrl Memes (@Ctrlmemes_) August 25, 2021
Kohli might be seen as one of the best batsmen to ever grace the game, but the India skipper has now gone past 50 innings in international cricket without scoring a hundred. Kohli’s last hundred came way back in 2019 during the day-night Test against Bangladesh and ever since then, he has not gone past the three-figure mark across all formats.
In the ongoing Headingley Test against England, on the final delivery of the 11th over, Kohli went for a checked cover-drive, but he only managed to get a thick outside edge and Buttler held on to a simple catch.
So far in the series against England, Kohli has batted in four innings, managing to score just 69 runs with his best score coming in the first innings of the Lord’s Test wherein he registered 42 runs.
