James Anderson has become the joint-most successful bowler when it comes to dismissing Virat Kohli in the longest format of the game. The veteran English pacer dismissed the Indian cricket team captain for the seventh time in the Test arena. With the dismissal, Anderson became the first fast bowler to pick the wicket of Kohli seven times in red-ball cricket.
Before Anderson, only one bowler had been able to pick up Virat Kohli’s wicket seven times in Test cricket, and he was Nathan Lyon, the right-arm off-spin bowler from Australia. Lyon has troubled Kohli with his off-spin bowling in the Test cricket arena. So far, he has bowled in 33 innings against Kohli and sent him back to the Indian dressing room seven times.
Meanwhile, today, Anderson was bowling in a Test inning against Kohli for the 41st time. He could not dismiss him even once in the 2018 Test series played between England and India. However, in 2021 now, so far, he has dismissed Kohli twice. First, at Trent Bridge, Anderson dismissed Kohli for a golden duck in the very first innings.
Earlier today, the right-arm fast bowler took the wicket of Virat Kohli once again in the 2021 series. He dismissed him, caught behind in Leeds.
Can James Anderson create a new record for dismissing Virat Kohli the most times?
There are five more innings left for Team India in the ongoing series against the England cricket team. This means Anderson has five more chances to become the first-ever bowler to dismiss Kohli eight times in the Test arena.
No other bowler has done it so far. Anderson, being the legend, has a chance to do it now. Also, Kohli has not played a big knock since long in the whites. Hence, there is a chance that Anderson can become the most successful bowler, overtaking Nathan Lyon soon.