Leeds, (Samajweekly) England pace bowler James Anderson and India captain Virat Kohli were at each other’s throat during the second Test. On Wednesday, 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.”
