"His self-belief is so high" - James Anderson in awe of Virat Kohli's record while chasing totals
Retired England cricketer James Anderson has heaped praise on Virat Kohli, claiming that no one is better than the Indian legend when chasing totals, especially in the limited-overs format. The Lancashire lad admitted that he is amazed by Kohli's record in chasing down scores and the number of hundreds he has scored in such situations.
The former Indian captain has recorded 50 tons in ODI cricket, 27 of which have come while batting second. In 155 innings while batting second, the right-hander has accumulated 7,852 runs, averaging 64.36. The highest of 183 also came during a run-chase against Pakistan at the 2012 Asia Cup.
Speaking to the BBC 5 Tailenders podcast, Anderson noted that Kohli's self-belief while chasing scores is so high that he is bound to get the team over the line. He said:
"I do not know if there has been a better batter in the history of the game batting second and chasing down scores than Virat Kohli. His record at chasing is absolutely phenomenal.
"The number of hundreds he has scored in the second innings, chasing down scores is ridiculous. It is no surprise that when he gets in that situation, with his mentality, it is just like it is meant to be. His self-belief is so high."
Kohli has an equally formidable record in T20Is while chasing as he averages 67.10 in 48 innings with 2013 runs. The veteran averages 45.65 in the fourth innings in Test cricket.
"I honestly can't think of a better finisher and greater white-ball player than him" - James Anderson on Virat Kohli
When asked who according to him is the best white-ball player, Anderson said it's difficult to choose but recalled Michael Bevan performing a similar role for Australia consistently. However, the 42-year-old reckons Kohli has created a legacy for himself. He explained:
"I cannot say that. I was thinking more in terms of just chasing. Michael Bevan from Australia comes to my mind, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s - he was just phenomenal coming in at number six and doing that job.
"Kohli batting at number 3 gets those hundreds while Bevan was renowned for getting his 50s, 60s and being at the end while Kohli gets the big score, to get his teams over the line. I honestly can't think of a better finisher and greater white-ball players than him [Kohli]."
The ex-Indian skipper will next be seen in action in the Test series against Bangladesh, which begins on September 19.