MS Dhoni vs James Anderson is a classic battle between a top Indian batter and one of England’s best fast bowlers. Dhoni was known for staying calm and finishing games, while Anderson was famous for swinging the ball and taking big wickets. They played against each other many times in Tests and ODIs.
In this article, we look at how Dhoni performed against Anderson — how many runs he scored, how often he got out, and what their stats tell us about this exciting rivalry.
MS Dhoni vs James Anderson Head-to-Head Stats Summary
Across formats, Dhoni faced 651 deliveries from James Anderson and scored 412 runs. He was dismissed 10 times, with a majority of those dismissals coming in Test cricket.
Format | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Avg | SR |
Test | 297 | 534 | 6 | 404 | 41 | 1 | 49.5 | 55.6 |
ODI | 112 | 115 | 4 | 56 | 9 | 3 | 28.0 | 97.4 |
T20I | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 150.0 |
Total | 412 | 651 | 10 | 460 | 50 | 4 | - | - |
Dhoni vs Anderson: Year-by-Year Head to Head Stats in Test Cricket
MS Dhoni scored 297 runs off 534 balls against James Anderson in Tests. Anderson dismissed him 6 times. Out of those 534 balls, 404 were dot balls — showing how often Anderson kept Dhoni quiet. Dhoni hit 41 fours and 1 six against the English pacer in Tests. He averaged 49.5 and had a strike rate of 55.6 in this format.
Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Avg | SR |
2006 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | – | 22.2 |
2007 | 54 | 82 | 1 | 53 | 6 | 0 | 54.0 | 65.9 |
2008 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8.0 | 160.0 |
2011 | 92 | 138 | 1 | 105 | 17 | 1 | 92.0 | 66.7 |
2012 | 43 | 104 | 1 | 81 | 6 | 0 | 43.0 | 41.3 |
2014 | 96 | 187 | 2 | 148 | 16 | 0 | 48.0 | 51.3 |
Total | 297 | 534 | 6 | 404 | 47 | 1 | 49.5 | 55.6 |
Dhoni vs Anderson: Year-by-Year Head to Head Stats in ODI Cricket
In ODIs, Dhoni scored 112 runs from 115 balls against Anderson and got out 4 times. He faced 56 dot balls, hit 9 fours, and cleared the boundary 3 times. His average was 28.0, with a strong strike rate of 97.4.
Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Avg | SR |
2006 | 23 | 30 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 1 | – | 76.7 |
2007 | 41 | 29 | 3 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 13.7 | 141.4 |
2008 | 17 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | 141.7 |
2011 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | – | 114.3 |
2014 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | 44.4 |
2015 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 21.4 |
Total | 112 | 115 | 4 | 56 | 9 | 3 | 28.0 | 97.4 |
Dhoni vs Anderson: Year-by-Year Head to Head Stats in T20I Cricket
The two legends only met once in a T20I. In that match, Dhoni scored 3 runs from 2 balls, without getting out. He didn’t hit any boundaries but maintained a strike rate of 150.0.
Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | Avg | SR |
2009 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 150.0 |
Total | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 150.0 |
Verdict: MS Dhoni vs James Anderson Who Has the Edge?
In Tests, Dhoni clearly had the upper hand—scoring 297 runs at an average of 49.5 against Anderson. In ODIs, Anderson hit back, dismissing Dhoni 4 times and keeping his average to 28. T20I data is too limited to judge. Overall, Dhoni edges ahead with better Test dominance and composure under pressure.
Read below about other famous encounters with James Anderson:
