Chennai: “Let me know if you want to become a part of our support-staff.” As the curtain fell on the career of one of the greatest of all time, the unique job offer from James Anderson made six years ago came to mind. It was the summer of 2018 and Anderson was suddenly hit by a force that hadn’t really bothered him till then.
Virat Kohli had discovered a way to deal with the legendary English paceman and Anderson, then 35, was caught off-guard. After the immense struggles of 2014, when Anderson had got Kohli four times for virtually nothing, the Indian master had come to England with a plan. Kohli threw the age-old formula of playing late against English swing bowlers out of the window and decided to take guard outside the crease against Anderson and his pace partner Stuart Broad.
The then Indian captain decided that he would play the Anderson delivery before it breaks for the swing, turning the duel into one of the most riveting contests that you can ever witness. In the first Test in Birmingham on a mighty difficult track, Kohli got a magnificent century in the first innings by taking on Anderson. Yes, he offered a couple of difficult chances which weren’t grabbed, but that’s par for the course.
It was an innings of incredible quality and when Anderson was bombarded with questions on Kohli by the Indian journalists, the English pacer looked slightly annoyed. When TOI asked him whether he would look to bowl slightly short to counter Kohli’s new method of taking g.