London, May 14 – England pace legend James Anderson has lauded India's emerging generation of batters for their aggression and fearlessness, qualities he believes will help them fill the void left by Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket.
Kohli and Rohit, iconic figures in Indian cricket, recently announced their retirement from the longest game format, which is just a week apart. The duo had already stepped away from T20 Internationals last year and will only play ODIs for India.
Kohli and Rohit's Legacy in Test Cricket
Virat Kohli concluded his illustrious Test career with 9,230 runs from 123 matches, averaging 46.85 with 30 centuries. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma amassed 4,301 runs in 67 Tests, with an average of 40.57, including 12 hundreds and 18 fifties.“Great players. Kohli, one of the greatest Test batters who's ever been,” Anderson said during an interview on talkSPORT.
New Era for Indian Test Team
The back-to-back retirements signal a transitional phase for India, which now not only faces the task of appointing a new Test captain but must also move forward without two of its most seasoned campaigners.“There’s big shoes to fill there, but they’ve got a huge amount of talent in their squad,” said Anderson.
Praise for India’s Emerging Talent
Anderson admired the new crop of Indian batters, many leaping from the IPL into the Test format.“You just have to watch the IPL. They are now bringing players from the IPL into Test cricket who are just so attacking, aggressive, and fearless,” he observed.
Upcoming India-England Test Series
India and England will clash in a five-match Test series beginning June 20, marking the start of the 2025-2027 ICC World Test Championship cycle. England will also tour Australia later this year for the Ashes.Anderson cautioned against looking too far ahead, especially with India posing a formidable challenge.
“It’s a huge year with the Ashes coming, but it is important to get some momentum going. Looking back at my career, that happened too much—looking 18 months ahead to the Ashes and forgetting what's in front of you,” noted Anderson, who has an impressive record of 704 Test wickets from 188 matches.
“India is going to be such a tough challenge even at home. They are a strong side,” he added.
