There is an interesting subplot which is playing out in the ongoing India-England Test series. India's Virat Kohli and England's James Anderson have been trying to get under each other's skin and after the skipper scored a century in the first Test in seaming conditions, the fast bowler has aimed his guns at Kohli before the second Test match.
"I guess that's top-of-the-range stuff and I certainly loved the battle with him (Virat Kohli) at Edgbaston. 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," Anderson wrote in his column for The Sun.
However, the pacer added that he could not get him out and the captain got to his century which makes him all the more determined to be on top form in the Lord's Test match.
Even as the other batsmen faltered against the moving ball, Kohli dominated proceedings. He shut shop when he believed that Anderson was hooping the ball around and left as many deliveries as possible. In fact, his only boundary off Anderson came when he edged a ball which fell short of Jonny Bairstow.
Despite scoring 200 runs in the Test match, India went down by 31 runs as the other batsmen could only manage 214 runs between them. This is one area where the Indian batting has to take note and work on their temperament.
"It depends on how you think about it after the dismissal. There must be a clear plan on how to face the first 20-30 balls; more often than not that plan does not involve aggression. There we need some composure. As a batting unit, we have discussed that," Kohli said before the match.
"From outside it looks very bad, especially since it is Test cricket and we are playing in England, where it is anyway difficult (due to seaming conditions). But we only need to bring down the margin of error. Beyond that we don't need to worry too much," the captain further added.
