Will be taking a break for the time being, reveals Hanuma Vihari
Hanuma Vihari has stated that he is back in Hyderabad after playing Chennai League match for his company Nelson CC and will be taking a break amid the COVID-19 situation. Vihari has also added that his county paperwork is on hold due to the prevailing pandemic which has rocked the entire world.
Hanuma Vihari enjoyed a topsy-turvy ride to his short Test career for India so far, with fleeting brilliance accompanied by pretty brutal lows. He scored a massive century against Windies to give India their first Test Championship win but failed to get going in New Zealand. The fact that India prefers five batsmen and wicket-keeper in home conditions, Vihari, who has an enviable record in domestic cricket, is yet to play a single home Test match. But the hard-working cricketer that he is, Vihari went to Chennai to participate in the Tamil Nadu cricket association league match in Chennai for Nelson CC on Tuesday and returned with 202 not out.
"I work for Nelson and I am committed to playing when I am available. It was good match practice. Now I am back in Hyderabad. I will be taking a break for the time being," Vihari told PTI.
Vihari earlier announced that he would like to strike a county deal after failing to get a buyer in the IPL auction. However, the prevailing situation of Coronavirus resulted in the process getting delayed. Currently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is drawing up the contingency plans for the county championship and the Indian batsman is confident that he would be able to play a part in this summer.
"I was supposed to play four English county games this season. I would only be able to tell you the name when all the paperwork is complete. Right now, it's on hold due to the unavoidable situation (COVID-19). Hope once it's under control, I will be able to play those games. It will be a learning experience for me," he said.
Unlike the England or Windies series, Vihari looked completely at sea against the Kiwi pacers, returning with scores of 7, 15, 55 and 9 in the four innings. His counter-attacking half-century in the first innings of the Christchurch Test gave a breath of fresh air but Vihari brushed aside that by stating it invariably came in a losing cause.
"I wouldn't call it my best innings. Yes, I was playing well but that innings didn't get a victory for my team. It was good to score runs in tough conditions but you value it more when the team wins," he said.