"2021 summer was my favorite contest with Virat Kohli" – James Anderson

England pacer James Anderson has picked the 2021 contest against Virat Kohli as his favorite against the Indian batter.

The duo have contested against each other in 24 Tests since the 2012 India-England series, with James Anderson dismissing the Indian captain seven times.

"This summer was probably my favorite contest with Virat. We've had a few good battles over the years, both in England and India, but this year was certainly my favorite.

"I got him out a few times, but he got some runs as well, and we had a battle on the field where there was definitely a mutual respect there. It was in a really nice manner if that makes sense.

"Obviously, we were going at each other, but it was in a well-spirited way. So I really enjoyed that," James Anderson told Fox Cricket's Road to the Ashes podcast.

India’s tour of England this year saw the duo contest in four Tests, with Anderson getting Virat Kohli out for a golden duck in the first Test at Nottingham. It was the first time in seven years that the Lancastrian had dismissed the Indian great.

Virat Kohli ended up scoring 64 runs against the 39-year-old England legend, getting dismissed twice in the series.

James Anderson sets eyes on Steve Smith for the Ashes 2021-22

With the Ashes starting in December, James Anderson has now set eyes on Australia’s Steve Smith, arguably the greatest Test batter of the current era.

"As a bowler, you always look at the best player, and for me over the last three, four, or five years, Steve Smith's been Australia's best player.

"He's been the one they rely on for their volume of runs, obviously supported by guys around him like [David] Warner and [Marnus] Labuschagne recently.

"But he's been their go-to in the last few years, so he'll be the one that we will be keen to get out early," added James Anderson.

Steve Smith averages 65.11 against England from 27 Tests and has slammed 11 centuries against the opposition.

Emphasizing the importance of starting well in the Ashes, James Anderson spoke on the difference between bowling with the Dukes ball in England and the Kookaburra in Australia.

"We've got to start well. The Gabba, in particular, is huge for us. If we can get one-up on a few batters early, then that can have a real snowball effect throughout the series. Bowling in Australia is not necessarily more difficult; it's just different.

"In England, the Dukes swings more often than not, and with the wickets we play on, you can get some seam movement as well. But you're not going to get many swings with a Kookaburra, so it's just about trying to hit good areas. You've just got to be relentless and so accurate. And that's where people do struggle," James Anderson said.

Test cricket’s most successful pacer, James Anderson, will be making his fifth Test tour to Australia. He has 60 wickets from 18 Tests in Australia at an average of 35.4.

The Ashes urn remains with Australia after drawing a series 2-2 in England in 2019. The five-Test series begins in Brisbane on December 8.