'That's for cameras and stump mic' - Tight-lipped Virat Kohli refuses to share details of Lord's spat with James Anderson

Indian skipper Virat Kohli chose against revealing any of the details of his verbal altercation with James Anderson during the second Test of the current series.

Tempers flared regularly in what was a high-octane clash at Lord’s as players from both sides did not shy from taking a go at each other. There were plenty of tense moments throughout the Test, but none more eye-catching than the Kohli-Anderson spat.

On the fourth day, the duo was seen in a heated altercation during the 17th over of the Indian innings, which was Anderson’s ninth. By whatever was heard on the stump mic, Kohli was heard asking Anderson: “What was that? huh? Swearing at me again, like Jasprit [Bumrah] huh?”, to which the pacer responded saying: “You can swear at me all you want. No one else can.”

The verbal duo did not stop, with Kohli responding: “You play by your own rules. You are calling me a Fu***** Pr*** for running too? This isn’t your backyard!”, with Anderson responding: “I think that bowlers can run through the crease too.” A pestered Kohli was then heard saying: “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Chirp, chirp, chirp. This is what old age makes you do,” as Anderson went back to deliver the next ball.

On being quizzed about what provoked him, Kohli remained tight-lipped as he termed the details to be “not necessary” and that it all transpired “in the moment”.

The details are not necessary to be discussed: Virat Kohli

“I can’t give you details of the words of what was spoken. That’s for cameras and stump mic. What’s said and done on the moment gives extra motivation. The details are not necessary to be discussed after, because it happens in the moment,” he said in a virtual press interaction ahead of the third Test, which goes underway from August 25 at Headingley, Leeds.

Kohli and Anderson’s was not the only instance of things going a tad haywire between the two sides as Jasprit Bumrah, Mark Wood and Jos Buttler were involved in a few animated interactions during India’s lower-order rearguard on Day 4. However, the foundation of all of that was laid a day before when Bumrah launched a barrage of bouncers against Anderson towards the fag end of the day, which by Anderson’s belief was “a plan to not get him out”.

Rather predictably, Bumrah was meted with similar treatment by Mark Wood, who cranked up the pace during Bumrah and Mohammed Shami’s 89-run ninth-wicket stand and even slammed a short ball right into the former helmet. Much to England’s dismay, both the batters endured all that en route to their record-breaking stand, taking the game well out of England’s reach.