Steve Smith to Virat Kohli to MS Dhoni: Nine players who scored most runs against England bowling great James Anderson in Test Cricket

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James Anderson is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of Test cricket. The legendary seamer recently played his farewell Test against the West Indies at the Lord's as he signed off his illustrious Test career with his head held high.

England's bowling great's final day as an international cricketer started with a guard of honour. He finished his elite Test career with 704 wickets in 188 Tests, the most by a pacer in the purest format of the game.

Overall, he has pocketed 32 five-wicket hauls and 3 ten-wicket hauls. Known for his exceptional swing bowling, he had the potential to move the ball both ways and gave the opposition batters a run for their money.

He troubled both right-handed and left-handed batters, courtesy of his masterful control over seam and swing. Besides that, he had the ability to generate reverse swing as well. Notably, he is England's all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests.

Most Runs Against James Anderson in Test Cricket

Even the majority of premier batters struggled to dictate the terms and not many fared well against him in Tests. Cut to the chase, let's take a glimpse at the nine players who mustered the most runs against James Anderson in red-ball cricket.

1. Steve Smith: Steve Smith, one of the world's finest Test batters, has consistently troubled bowlers worldwide, including England's bowling great James Anderson. His unorthodox batting technique and remarkable concentration helped him to score heavily against the veteran. He scored 486 runs at an incredible batting average of 60.8.

2. Shane Watson: Shane Watson who was known for his aggressive batting and ability to take on fast bowlers comes second on the list with 426 runs at an average of 53.2. His solid technique and powerful stroke play helped him score significantly against the former England seamer.

3. Graeme Smith: Former South African skipper Graeme Smith comes third on the list as he aggregated 419 runs at an average of 69.8. The former left-handed batter smartly dealt with high-quality fast bowling and used to play long innings during the playing days of his cricketing career.

4. Hashim Amla: Hashim Amla who was acknowledged as one of the best batters of the world follows next on the list with 402 runs scored against James Anderson at a formidable batting average of 201. He showcased his mettle with his elegant batting approach and had the skillset to deal with Anderson's challenging deliveries.

5. David Warner: The former Australian opening batter has had issues in dealing with Anderson's deliveries as he was dismissed 10 times by England's bowling great in Tests. On the other hand, he did manage to score some decent runs against the Burnley-born, essaying 369 runs at an average of 36.9.

6. Brad Haddin: Former Australian wicket keeper-batter follows next on the list with 323 runs at an average of 46.1 against James Anderson in the longest format of the game. He was best known for his potential to counterattack and score crucial runs for the Aussies.

7. Chris Rogers: Former Australian opener Chris Rogers had a brief but impactful career for the national cricket team. He played pretty well against James Anderson, scoring 312 runs at an excellent average of 104 against the bowling great, courtesy of his solid technique and patience.

8. Virat Kohli: James Anderson had an edge over India's run-machine Virat Kohli as he dismissed the latter seven times in Test cricket. The former Indian captain scored 305 runs against the veteran at a batting average of 43.6.

9. MS Dhoni: Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni had a better batting average than Virat Kohli when it came to facing James Anderson in the longest format. Dhoni scored 303 runs at an average of 50.5 against the 41-year-old.