5 times James Anderson got into heated exchange with an Indian player ft. Shubman Gill
The fifth Test between India and England in Dharamsala was special for veteran pacer James Anderson as he became the only pacer to pick up a staggering 700 wickets in the Test format.
However, he had another interesting moment in the Test as the fast bowler was seen having an animated conversation with Indian batter Shubman Gill. Anderson over the years has shown that he doesn't mind having a word or two with the batters on the field and sometimes, the exchanges have been heated.
In the heat of the moment, it is natural for a fast bowler to try something different to shift the focus of the batters. However, James Anderson has surprisingly had multiple occasions of heated exchanges with Indian players. On that note let's take a look at five such instances:
#5 Ravichandran Ashwin, 2016
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli had scored an incredible double hundred during the Mumbai Test of the 2016 series against England. When asked in the press conference about Kohli's knock, James Anderson gave a rather bold answer, stating that the star Indian batter was always a good player on pitches that do not offer seam movement.
This indirectly seemed a dig at Kohli's struggles against Anderson in England in 2014 in testing conditions. Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was going to have none of it as he made Anderson know that he was upset as the England pacer walked out to bat towards the backend of the Test match.
After the end of the game, Kohli revealed the conversation between Ashwin and Anderson to the host broadcaster. Kohli also claimed that James Anderson had asked the former about whether they could talk and sort it out, to which the Indian captain replied that there was nothing to be said.
#4 Ravindra Jadeja, 2014
Heading into lunch on Day 2 of the first Test between India and England at Trent Bridge in 2014, Ravindra Jadeja and James Anderson were seen exchanging a few words. To this day, it isn't clear what exactly was said between the two as they made their way through the corridor to the dressing rooms.
However, after the game, Team India's then-manager Sunil Dev lodged a complaint that Anderson had repeatedly sworn at Jadeja and had also pushed the latter, accusing the pacer of Level 3 offence in the ICC Codee of Conduct. The ECB retaliated by accusing Jadeja of Level 2 conduct, claiming that it was the Indian all-rounder who instigated Anderson.
The drama just got out of hand, with players from both teams giving testimonies. Indian captain MS Dhoni had come out in support of Jadeja after the latter was charged with fifty percent of his match-fee for his behaviour not being in the spirit of cricket. Eventually, both Jadeja and Anderson were found not guilty of their respective charges.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah, 2021
India's famous win during the Lord's Test in 2021 was a testament to just how motivated Kohli and his men were on the final day. However, the sparks seemed to fly off earlier in the Test when James Anderson faced a lethal spell from Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler had bowled an over with 10 deliveries due to multiple no-balls and peppered Anderson with short-ball ploy.
At the end of the day's play, Anderson was seen having a go at Bumrah as the two teams made their way back to the pavilion. While Bumrah seemed to smile and not take it personally, Anderson claimed after the end of play that he didn't think the Indian pacer was trying to get him out.
Bumrah himself received a short-ball barrage when he walked out to bat, but the bravery with which he batted in his partnership with Mohammed Shami set India up for an incredible triumph.
#2 Virat Kohli, 2021
During the same Lord's Test on Day 4, Virat Kohli and James Anderson had a few words to say to each other. Apparently, Kohli complained to the on-field umpire that Anderson was running on the danger zone and the England pacer uttered some words in frustration.
Standing at the non-striker's end, here's what Kohli replied to Anderson as the latter murmured on his way back to the bowling mark:
"You swearing at me again are you? This isn’t your fu**ing backyard"
The chirping from Anderson didn't stop throughout the over and Kohli added:
"Chirp chirp chirp. This is what old age makes you."
The two legends of the game have had several face-offs against each other and naturally the rivalry led to some heated moments. The Kohli vs Anderson bout couldn't be witnessed in the recently concluded Test series as the former Indian captain had withdrawn from the series, citing personal reasons.
#1 Shubman Gill
Just like Kohli, Shubman Gill is another Indian batter that James Anderson enjoys a terrific record against. However, the young right-hander tore into Anderson during the fifth Test of the recent series in Dharamsala.
Gill smashed his fourth Test hundred and soon after, he was seen exchanging a few words with Anderson. Shubman Gill was asked by the host broadcaster about the conversation, but the Indian batter denied making it public.
However, on the Tailenders podcast, James Anderson claimed that he had asked Gill about his record outside India. The veteran pacer also stated that Gill told him it was time for him to retire. The pacer eventually cleaned up the Indian batter for 104, but the damage was already done for the visitors by then.