If the mood in the dugout was grim after Virat returned, having being run out by Rohit, it increased ten fold when Jinks came back, having met the same fate. No, Jinks wasn't angry. Only a little exasperated. But Virat was looking positively livid. He didn't say anything, though. Waiting for the culprit to come back.

However, when Rohit almost got caught out on 96, but Shamsi dropped the catch, Virat stood up and clapped so loudly with such a big smile on his face that his team thought he had forgiven Rohit.

But obviously it was a custom between them to have a fight every time they ran each other out.

When Rohit came back after his 115, he saw Virat glaring at him. Bhuvi saw Jinks and Shikhar exchanging an alarmed glance, more so because there was no MS to calm them down, as he was batting, nor Ash.

"You must be the only player in history to have played the sport for over 10 years and still not having learnt one of the most basic things. Running between the wickets," said Virat in a supremely condescending tone.

"What about you?" shot back Rohit, snatching up a bottle of water; he looked tired after 3 hours of batting. "Don't you run people out too? I happen to remember the first match of the series..."

"You ran TWO people out in the same match. Even I can't claim such a credit!"

"There wasn't a run in the ball you got out," mumbled Rohit. However, he was clearly on the back foot, as he was quite obviously feeling guilty, though of course he wouldn't accept it to Virat.

"There could have been if you listened to my call! What you do there out in the field, I don't know! You didn't listen to Jinks' call either! Honestly..."

Sometimes Bhuvi wondered why Virat was such a jerk. Everyone in the dugout felt for Rohit just then, he was sure, and it was Jinks who spoke up.

"Let it go, Virat," he said quietly. "Run outs are part of the game. You know that."

"Always taking Rohit's side," grumbled Virat, and muttered something about a 'private conspiracy group.'

Rohit immediately turned to Jinks. "I'm really sorry for running you out. I didn't hear your call," he said ever so sincerely.

"Don't give it a thought," said Jinks, and motioned frantically at him to apologize to Virat, too. But Rohit wouldn't, of course.

Instead, he turned and went into the dressing room rather huffily. Virat glared after him.

__________

"Virat, give him a break," said Shikhar sternly after Rohit disappeared. "You know he's been out of form for a while now, and now even though he performed you're going after him."

"Why do you always have to take Rohit's side?" demanded Virat.

"It wasn't his fault this time," Bhuvi said quietly. Virat did not yell at him. (He never did).

"Go and bring him back!" said Jinks, nudging Virat. "He's alone."

Virat must have seen some sense in this attack from all sides, because he too went into the dressing room without another word.

___________

Virat found Rohit hunched over a chair.

There was a silence.

Then Rohit said grumblingly, "I'm not going to apologize to you."

"Neither am I," said Virat at once.

"I wouldn't expect you to," said Rohit, and immediately felt proud of himself for having come up with such an impressive reply.

"I don't have anything to apologize for, you idiot!" shouted Virat, flaring up.

"It wasn't my fault!" shouted back Rohit.

"Whose was it, then?"

"Yours, whose else?"

"You're always running people out!"

"So are you, haven't you noticed?"

Virat was stunned into silence at Rohit's ridiculous accusation.

"Why can't you realise the simple fact that all of us can't run as fast as you!?"

"Then you don't deserve to be in the team!" cried Virat.

"If I wasn't in the team," said Rohit nonchalantly. "You probably would've killed yourself 2 years ago, when Anushka dumped you."

His words didn't have the intended effect. Instead of flaring up again, Virat suddenly laughed.

Rohit was caught off balance. Virat continued to laugh in his usual infectious manner, and extended his arm.

So when their team peeped inside few minutes later, half fearfully, they found the two of them grasping each other's hands and laughing like they were crazy.

Of course, they were crazy. Both of them. Virat could be a complete jerk at times, and Rohit lazy to the point of exasperation. But they were both awfully good at heart.

Rohit-Virat fights weren't really a problem. No matter how bitterly they fought and what names they called each other, they would always make up within an hour. Because they were thick as thieves together, they were best friends, and loved each other very hard.

No, Rohit-Virat fights weren't a problem. They were just uncomfortable while they lasted.