On Saturday, the Indian fast bowler, Shardul Thakur became the first India cricketer to resume outdoor training after a two-month coronavirus-forced break. He has played one Test, 11 ODIs and 15 T20s for India and were found training at a local ground at Boisar in Maharashtra’s Palghar district along with some domestic players.

The Maharashtra government has allowed the opening of stadiums for individual training in green and orange zones without spectators. This was after the home ministry offered relaxation in restrictions for the fourth phase of the lockdown till May 31. Talking to PTI about the same, Thakur said, “Yes, we practiced today. It was good and definitely pleasing to practice after two months.”

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An official said that the Palghar Dahanu Taluka Sports Association started the net sessions at Boisar, which is around 110 kms away from Mumbai. They have been following the strict safety protocols with each bowler getting his own set of disinfected balls.

The official explained, “All the safety measures were followed. The bowlers got their own balls which were disinfected and temperatures of the players who came for practice were also checked.”

All sporting action in the country has been halted since March 25, when the first nationwide lockdown was announced, to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, was announced by the central government. Top cricketers like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have resorted to home workouts to keep themselves fit during the lockdown, are still waiting to resume individual training.

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Only India pacer Mohammed Shami has been able to train outside, in his own farmland. On Thursday, England’s Ben Stokes, Stuart Broad, and Chris Woakes became the first set of cricketers to resume their training sessions at their local county grounds.