Watch: ‘This isn’t your backyard’ – Swear-filled Kohli-Anderson stump mic exchange ignites England-India Test

Watch: Virat Kohli and James Anderson were involved in a heated exchange during the fourth day of the second England-India Test, with the verbals caught on stump mic.

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While it’s tough to hear exactly what is being said, the words “f***ing” and “this isn’t your backyard” from Kohli are clearly audible. As for the rest, you can make your own mind up based on the video below. According to the ICC Code of Conduct, “use of an audible obscenity during an international match” constitutes a Level 1 offence.

There is plenty of context to the fiery back and forth. Anderson and Kohli are two of the fiercest and most competitive characters in world cricket, with Anderson clashing with Ravindra Jadeja during the 2014 series between the sides, as well as dismissing Kohli time and again in the lowest point of the India great’s career.

In 2018, Kohli bit back even as India lost 4-1, scoring two hundreds and avoiding dismissal to Anderson throughout the series, but the Englishman dismissed Kohli for a golden duck in his first innings of the series to show the battle was far from over. In this game, Anderson was clearly riled by India’s line of attack to him on the third evening, with Jasprit Bumrah bowling four front-foot no-balls as he peppered the No.11. After Anderson’s dismissal to bring the day to a close, he and the India team exchanged words as they walked off.

While the two men in the midst of battle might not be enjoying each other’s company, plenty of others are relishing watching two titans of the modern game duke it out. CricViz analyst Ben Jones suggested it would be possible to “solve world hunger” if Anderson v Kohli became a pay-per-view contest, while the Independent’s Vithushan Ehantharajah requested Sky Sports create a channel dedicated to the pair.