England vs India: Anushka Sharma's Presence Fails to Lift Virat Kohli's Game

He is in need of lady luck but even having girlfriend Anushka Sharma on the sidelines has not helped Virat Kohli with the bat. The batsman, who was reportedly spotted with girlfriend Anushka Sharma outside Team India's hotel in London, has scored just 34 from four innings against England - his latest being a golden duck at Lord's. While Anushka is learnt to have taken time out from her hectic schedule to be with the batsman, Kohli's dip in fortunes have stuck on to the batsman - and stubbornly at that - in the five-Test series against hosts England.

While Kohli failed with the bat in the first two innings of the opening Test - scoring 1 and 8, he reportedly looked calm in the company of Anushka on the eve of the Lord's Test. According to a source quoted by UK's Mirror, the two appeared casual as they stepped out of the team hotel on Wednesday. "The two have been spending a lot of time together and look really happy in each other's company," said the source. The happiness faded on the cricket field.

Anushka reached London after the first Test at Trent Bridge and was even seen cheering Kohli when he came out to bat on Day 1 at Lord's. He scored 25. The batsman returned momentarily on Saturday but left in a hurry - bowled by Liam Plunkett for a golden duck.

While his on-field innings may have failed to take off, off the pitch, he has been quite busy in previous cricket tours as well. Kohli was with Anushka when India toured New Zealand earlier this year.

Kohli may not have found his much-acclaimed form so far in the England series, having Anushka may get him good fortune moving forward. After all, several teams allowed wives and girlfriends to accompany footballers during the recently-concluded FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Germany's fourth title win this year at the mega-event is said to be influenced by the presence of players' wives and girlfriends in the South American nation. (Read more here)