James Anderson reveals the toughest batter among the ‘Fab Four’ of world cricket

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The term “Fab Four” in modern cricket refers to four of the finest batters of this generation: Virat Kohli (India), Steve Smith (Australia), Kane Williamson (New Zealand), and Joe Root (England). These players have dominated world cricket over the past decade, setting records, winning matches, and thrilling fans with their batting mastery.

Each member of the Fab Four brings a unique style to the game—Kohli’s aggression and chase mastery, Smith’s unorthodox technique and consistency, Williamson’s elegance and calmness under pressure, and Root’s classical strokeplay and adaptability. Their rivalries and performances have defined an era, making them the benchmark for batting excellence.

As one of Test cricket’s greatest fast bowlers, England’s James Anderson has been a key participant in some of the fiercest duels with the Fab Four. His battles with each member have provided fans with gripping moments over the years. His rivalry with Kohli peaked during the 2014 and 2018 England-India series, where he dominated Kohli in 2014 but saw the Indian star bounce back with 593 runs in 2018. Against Smith, Anderson has engaged in gripping Ashes contests, trying to counter Smith’s unorthodox yet effective technique. While he hasn’t faced Root in international cricket, their training duels have been equally competitive, with Anderson praising Root’s adaptability. With Williamson, Anderson has admired the New Zealander’s calmness and technique during their classic red-ball encounters.

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When it comes to choosing the toughest batter among the Fab Four, Anderson picked Kohli. The former England seamer has had several memorable contests with Kohli, especially during the 2014 and 2018 Test series in England. While Anderson dominated Kohli in 2014, the Indian maestro responded with a stellar performance in 2018, averaging over 50 in challenging conditions. This rivalry has since been viewed as one of the most compelling bowler-batter face-offs in modern Test cricket.

Kohli’s mental strength, ability to adapt, and hunger for big runs in pressure situations appear to have left a lasting impression on Anderson, who has bowled to generations of top batters. This praise from a fast-bowling legend further cements Kohli’s reputation as one of the toughest challenges for any bowler in the world.

“Virat Kohli is the toughest batter I have bowled to in the Fab 4,” said Anderson in a discussion on TalkSport podcast.

Also READ: “I think it’s not about the runs…”: Monty Panesar ranks Virat Kohli amongst the Fab Four