Kohli and Pujar win mini-battle versus Anderso

Both of England’s wicket-takers were in operation when Rohit Sharma was dismissed less than two overs after the tea-break. They were Ollie Robinson, who had just gotten rid of Sharma leg-before, and Craig Overton, the remover of KL Rahul from earlier in the day. Yet, the focus had shifted to two men emerging on to the field from their respective dressing rooms—not just because Virat Kohli was one of them, but mainly due to James Anderson being the other.

Anderson hadn’t taken the field after tea but was now by the edge of the boundary rope, warming up his bowling arm and raring to go. And why not, given that he had dismissed both the Indians out in the middle – Kohli and the well-set Cheteshwar Pujara – on 17 collective occasions in Test cricket; Pujara 10 times and Kohli seven.

The past doesn’t often count for much in Test head-to-heads, but in this case the Anderson threat was clear and present too. In this series alone, Anderson had dismissed them five times (Pujara 3, Kohli 2) and more significantly, both of them in the first innings of this very Test. Leeds, and the wider world of cricket viewers, lay in wait for the 39-year-old to be introduced into the attack.

The wait ended in the 53rd over, four overs after he had retaken the field; deliciously, with the Indian captain on strike, batting on just one run. “In 2014, Anderson won the battle and in 2018, Kohli did. This series so far Anderson is ahead on points,” said Nasser Hussain on air, setting it up quite like a ring-announcer would while the heavyweights sweated in their corners. Anderson ran in from his end and began with his trademark outswinger – pitching perfectly on good length to do its magic.

This was the very shape that had troubled Kohli more than any other, be it in 2014 or now seven years later—a shape often forced him to play a from his body. But on Fri Kohli reached outside his stump with confidence, pu ing it into the dust with the dle of his bat. Next ball, An son altered his line to mi and the batsman doubled growing faith by flicking it of pads for a boundary. So, An son went back to teasing outside his off stump. But K would not be teased – he sh dered arms to the third ball majestically drove the final of the over for another bo ary, this time through the co

By the time the subseq over by Robinson ended, a b ket of clouds shrouded ove ground and the floodli began taking effect. Alrea was reported to be a cold d Headingley; now, just in tim the second over of Anders spell, it would be dark Within these ideal conditi the best swing bowler of mo times commenced the 55th with Pujara on strike.

In the previous sess Anderson had tried to ex Pujara’s propensity to get out to the in-shaping deliv But every time Anderson drifted on to Pujara’s pads batsman had found the r square on the leg side, in rediscovering his touch too. he was on 58, his first halftury in 13 innings. For four secutive Anderson balls Pu shouldered arms, as the q alternately bowled the in away swinger. But when the two inswingers drifted wid gifts, Pujara whipped up e runs through the leg side.

Anderson cussed himse the end of the over, ha leaked 20 runs from his overs post tea. He perhaps k that he was going to be take after just 12 balls – and he making it perhaps his sho bowling spell in conducive ditions. Not far away, Kohli Pujara punched gloves, kno that they had won the minitle. Having seen their grea threat off, both remai unbeaten at the end of day’s