'I've been cheating a little'

On March 17 I was raising my bat after I made a double-century for Nelson Cricket Club against Alwarpet in a first-division club match of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. I had just returned from the New Zealand tour. With no domestic cricket left for me and no IPL contract this time, I wanted to keep myself active, so I played for Nelson.

The club was struggling and were at the bottom of the points table, and the game against Alwarpet was a relegation battle. So it was nice to score the double-hundred and help Nelson keep their place in the first division.

But all that is a distant memory now.

A few days into this enforced break because of the pandemic, I have begun to realise all the implications: I cannot go out, meet friends or do anything, pretty much. But that is the need of the hour - you have to isolate yourself and make sure things settle down.

The break has allowed a family get-together of sorts. My sister has joined me, my wife Preethi, and my mom.

I have been tempted to indulge in some home-cooked food, and I will admit I have cheated just a little, eating a few more dosas than I would normally. So more carbs, yeah, but then I have enough time to work out and burn the extra calories.

I know boredom will set in easily, but I have a solution for that: watching the 2005 Ashes on video. It is my favourite. I have lost count of how many times I have watched it.

Also, I have been planning on taking up yoga. It's something I have thought of doing for a year, in fact.

One good thing that will come out of this break is: I will able to celebrate my first wedding anniversary with my wife on May 19. In normal circumstances I might have been busy with cricket. So at least one person is not complaining too much!

Mentally I am trying hard to keep myself positive and busy. My challenge is: there is no cricket for the next three to four months. I do have a summer to look forward to having signed with a team in the English County Championship, where my contract starts from late August. Fingers crossed about that. I am going to use this time to focus on my fitness, sharpen my skills for county cricket as well as for the Australia tour in late 2020.

For more such Downtime Diaries with players from across the world, click here.