Five Talking Points From An Enthralling Day 2

Kohli v Anderson: The Titans Clash

England v India: Specsavers 1st Test - Day Two

Kohli's match-up with his arch-nemesis, Anderson has been the talk of the town for a while and God did it live up to its reputation today! The Indian star walked in with his team in bit of a bother as Curran wreaked havoc from the other end. Anderson's unbroken 15-over spell is indicative that he was raring to have a go at the Indian skipper and work over any of his weaknesses that were so terribly exploited the last time around Kohli traveled to these shores. The moment he faced Anderson till stumps, it seemed like it was all about ego for Kohli. As if he didn't want to get out to Jimmy Anderson again. And for that, we witnessed a remarkable medley of mental and physical endurance from the Indian skipper to brush away his demons from the past and keep things in control.

All we saw was disciplined Cricket; he really has matured and become wiser than how he fared four years ago. The hands did not poke around the off-stump and neither chased away at mere rubbish. Rather, the movement was compact. The head still, the eyes fixated and the feet slanted towards the off-side whenever he played a forward defensive stroke. This allowed him to manoeuvre with a bit more ease rather than opening up and ultimately playing away from the body. Kohli complimented this with a soft-hand playing technique, ensuring that the odd edges won't carry all the way to the slips cordon. He sapped in the pressure, the tenacity that was required to keep the ball leaving even when it was right in his arc to smash through covers region. Anderson didn't leak any runs to Kohli but Kohli remained adamant on the idea that he needed to see off the veteran pacer and look to score from the other end.

England v India: Specsavers 1st Test - Day Two

James Anderson was equal to the task, though. His wizardry boasts all the trickery and guile to master seam-bowling. Throughout the day, he worked on Kohli's fourth-stump region. His lines and lengths were next to impeccable. Unblemished. He had the Duke ball talking all the way through his prolonged first spell. And he almost got his man again. Anderson delivered a peach of a ball, pitched right in the middle of the channel that Kohli has been found wanting in previously, got a genuine outside edge but Dawid Malan spilled it at 2nd slip. A chance gone begging that might well change the outset of this match, later on.

Kohli kept nicking off to Anderson's away-seamers every once in a while. But with his delicately late strokes and soft hands, the edges just wouldn't carry to the slips; at least three to four falling marginally short of diving slip fielders. This wasn't all, though. Anderson's a virtuoso when it comes to swing bowling in English conditions. Infrequently and with no pattern attached to it, Anderson bowled the in-swingers that suddenly jagged back and startled the Indian skipper. Twice he was squared up by these surprise deliveries, once he almost got himself LBW as he walked across to flick an incoming delivery towards the onside. Anderson couldn't get the better of Kohli but he would believe he had the last laugh and, rightfully so.