ENG vs IND 2018: There's A Fiercely Competitive Rivalry Between Myself And Virat Kohli , Says James Anderson

England pace spearhead James Anderson has said he is looking forward to resuming his battle against Virat Kohli after the intriguing square-off in the first England vs India Test.

The battle between Anderson and Kohli was one of the biggest talking points in the buildup to the series.

The last time Kohli had visited England, Anderson had given him a hard time. In 2014, Kohli had endured a torrid time in England, scoring only 134 runs from ten innings, as India lost the series 3-1. He scored 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0, 7, 6 and 20 in the five Tests and finished the series with an average of 13.40.

The right-handed batsman was troubled mainly on the off stump line in England, as he ended up edging those deliveries behind the stumps. Virat was caught behind the stumps on six occasions (once by the keeper and five times in the slip cordon).

Anderson had made current India skipper his bunny, dismissing him four times in six innings.

However, Kohli has begun the second round of battle on a good note. In the first game, the India skipper scored 149 and 51 to start the tour on a high. Anderson managed to trouble Kohli on several occasions but the 29-year old stood firm and played two stunning innings.

And after such a thrilling start to the battle, Anderson said he is looking forward to bowling at Kohli in the second Test at Lord’s.

“There’s a fiercely competitive rivalry between myself and Virat Kohli — but also enormous mutual respect,” he wrote in his column for The Sun.

“Kohli is ranked the world’s No 1 Test batsman after scoring 200 runs in the First Test and I’m the top-ranked bowler. I guess that’s top-of-the-range stuff and I certainly loved the battle with him at Edgbaston,” he added.

Anderson further pointed out the missed chances off his bowling which might have helped him come out on top in the battle. At the same time, he praised Kohli for his knocks.

And the veteran pacer is now determined to come back stronger in the upcoming game.

“I felt good bowling to Virat and my plans worked well. I might have dismissed him a few times with some plays and misses plus a dropped catch. I’ve been told only 17 of his 149 runs in the first innings came off my bowling.

But the fact is, I didn’t get him out. And he scored a century and a half-century. So I’m not getting carried away! In fact, it makes me even more determined to be on top form in the Second Test at Lord’s,” he said.

Anderson also revealed a cheeky interaction with the India skipper in Birmingham.

“The game was played in a good spirit and there’s a lot of respect both ways between myself and Virat. There was the odd smile when I bowled a good ball and the odd smile from him.

“I gave him a couple of freebies on his legs that he clipped for four. And he said something like ‘That’s not like you, giving me freebies!’ It was teasing, really, leg-pulling. All in good spirit.

:A lot of teams see Lord’s as a special place and up their games to try to get their names on the honours’ board. So we’ll have to raise our game, too,” he said.