Sachin Tendulkar may be the best batter he's ever bowled to but James Anderson's battles with Virat Kohli are the stuff of legends. Kohli and Anderson made for one of the most theatrical cricketing battles in Test matches, with both greats going back and forth to have the wood over each other. Be it in 2014, 2016, 2018 or 2021, Kohli and Anderson engaged in unforgettable duels, but like every rivalry, this one too evolved with time. From a youngster, Kohli became a legend of world cricket, while Anderson's stature grew simultaneously. And hence, it was only fitting for the retiring England great to mention Kohli in his farewell speech.

Looking back at his spells to Kohli, Anderson, 41, summed up the entire arc. From making Kohli look like a walking wicket in 2014 to struggling to get him out even once four years later to sharing the honours in 2021, Anderson and Kohli have been through it all. Having gone through several ups and downs, Anderson, while speaking to Sky Sports after riding off into the sunset, exemplified it through his experience of bowling to Kohli, whom he's dismissed 7 times in 25 Tests.

"You go so up and down. Some series you feel amazing and some not quite on it and a batter gets the better of you. Playing against Virat Kohli in the early days, you felt you could get him out every ball and then recently like you can’t get him out at all. You feel so inferior," the legendary English pacer said.

The Kohli vs Anderson rivalry

Kohli and Anderson first crossed paths in 2014, where Jimmy dominated Virat, dismissing him five times across 10 Tests. Two years later, in 2016, a one-way battle ensured as Kohli sent Anderson and England on a leather hunt during a five-Test series in India. In 2018, Kohli's big Test, he pummelled almost 700 runs, without giving his wicket to Anderson even once. Three years later in 2021, Anderson got Kohli out twice as the series was levelled 2-2. The five-Test series against India and England earlier this year was billed as the last chapter of the Kohli vs Anderson rivalry, but Virat's withdrawal made it an anti-climax of sorts.

So as it turns out, the 2021 series would go down as the last of Kohli vs Anderson. Beyond the dismissals and runs scores, it was the roller-coaster of emotions the two went through that made it a spectacle. The sight of Kohli sledging Kohli during his run-up, having a word when Jasprit Bumrah went after him in an over full of bouncers, or the giggles and laughter the two shared while heading back towards the dressing room, is what added layers to this modern-day epic.

In 36 Test innings, Kohli has scored 305 runs against Anderson off 710 balls, out of which 560 have been dots. Kohli has hit Anderson for 39 fours but has failed to clear the ropes against him. Kohli has a strike-rate of 42.95 against the English great but his average reads a decent 43.57.

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