How Anushka sledged Kohli after smashing him into the stratosphere.

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After months of no cricket, competitive or otherwise, Virat Kohli was bound to be rusty. At best of times, Kohli doesn’t take to bowling, whether in the nets or in the middle. But here he was, pitted against his wife, and there was no way he couldn’t bowl. He was up to it. After doing a few routine stretches and warm ups, he grabbed the ball. While Anushka’s batting stance was far from conventional, Kohli decided to do a throw down.

You could say, he asked for it. Keeping wickets was an unidentified man in their full-time employment. Kohli’s thrown down was above waist-height, Anushka gave it a mighty heave failing to make contact. Kohli grinned, muttering some unsolicited advice.

Next ball, another free-hit. Another mighty heave, this time, Anushka watched the ball, hit the ball – and smashed it out of sight.

Grinning some more, Kohli decided to switch from throw-downs to his round arm action. Another freebee.

This time, Anushka put on her best act, smashing it so hard, she lost control of the bat – and hurled it towards Kohli, almost hitting him with it. Kohli had a laughing fit, rolling over on the ground.

He started to sledge Anushka, asking her if she’d like to do a zoom call with Rohit or Ishant on hitting the ball – after all they were both Sharmas and would understand what she was going through.

What seemed like an innocuous sledge, had Anushka fuming. She snapped at Kohli in his favourite Hindi swear words.

Next ball, Anushka focused so hard, she watched it right out of Kohli’s hand, seeing the slower one early, waiting for it, going back, hitting it on the half volley, right over Kohli’s head, somewhere far, far away.

Totally pumped up, she went up to Kohli, pulled him by the collar and asked him to get on to a zoom call with Ishant Sharma for some bowling tips – as there were hardly any Kohlis who knew how to play cricket.

(However plausible this may sound, this is largely a work of fiction)