Kohli one of the greatest, but India’s talent runs deep: Anderson

England pace great James Anderson paid tribute to Virat Kohli following the Indian star's retirement from Test cricket, calling him one of the greatest batters in the format's history. 

Speaking to TalkSport, the 42-year-old also cautioned England against taking a depleted India side lightly, stressing the depth of talent in the visitors' ranks.

Kohli announced his retirement from Tests on Monday, days after Rohit Sharma, his longtime teammate and successor as captain, also stepped away from the longest format. Kohli finishes as India's fourth-highest run scorer in Tests, bringing the curtain down on a glittering 15-year career that saw him accumulate over 8,500 runs.

"Great players. There will be a new captain because Sharma has retired. Kohli, one of the greatest Test batters that's ever been. There's big shoes to fill there but they've got a huge amount of talent in their squad," Anderson said. 

"You just have to watch the IPL. They are bringing players into Test cricket from the IPL now who are just so attacking, aggressive, and fearless."

Kohli and Anderson shared one of modern cricket's most intriguing rivalries, particularly in English conditions. The pacer tormented Kohli during the 2014 tour, dismissing him four times in a series where the Indian batter averaged just 13.50. But Kohli returned with a vengeance in 2018, amassing 593 runs to top the charts and reassert his dominance.

India's five-match Test series in England begins in just over a month, and despite the absence of stalwarts like Kohli and Rohit, Anderson warned against looking too far ahead to the Ashes, scheduled for later this year.

"It's a huge year with the Ashes coming but it is important to get some momentum going," he said. 

"If I'm being honest, looking back at my career, that happened too much where, 18 months out from an Ashes the management and even the players started to look towards that and actually forgetting what's in front of you. India is going to be such a tough challenge even at home. They are a strong side."