Kohli, Anderson's verbal fight on mic goes viral, Kohli says 'This isn't your backyard'

Cricket Desk: Tempers have started to flare in the ongoing second Test between England and India. While it was James Anderson who had a go at Jasprit Bumrah after stumps on Day three for his fiery over at him, the India skipper Virat Kohli made sure he gave it back to the veteran pacer on the fourth morning for running on the pitch. Both the players had a go at each other during that period.

The incident took place in the 17th over of India’s second innings when Anderson was delivering his ninth over of the day. After the fourth ball of the over, Kohli pointed out that the England pacer was running on the pitch after which Anderson had a go at him as well. The verbal spat between the two continued after the next delivery as well and stopped only because the pacer’s spell ended.

The verbal battle between Virat Kohli and James Anderson.#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/NolXUD5nmr

— Neelabh (@CricNeelabh) August 15, 2021

“You swearing at me again are you? This isn’t your fu**ing backyard,” Kohli said to Anderson even as the latter came up with a few words in between. After the fifth delivery was bowled, the India captain continued to have a go at Anderson saying, “chirp chirp chirp. This is what old age makes you.”

Virat Kohli gets out on 20

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s dry run with the bat continued in Lord’s Test as well. With the openers getting out early for the first time in the series, India badly needed him to stay in the middle. He looked good for some time too stitching a crucial partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara.

But just at the stroke of lunch, Kohli poked at an away going delivery off Sam Curran which could’ve easily been left alone only to edge it to Jos Buttler. He scored 20 runs off 31 balls as India went into lunch at 56/3, only 29 runs ahead in the second innings. The onus is now on the other batsmen to build a significant lead for the team in order to set a target for England.