Save the Test match: Irfan Pathan urges fans to stay home using cricket reference

Former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan on Tuesday used a cricket analogy to ask citizens of the country to stay inside their homes and steer clear of getting infected with the coronavirus.

Irfan said that the coronavirus is like a bowling machine that has been controlled to bowl outside the off-stump and if we aren't touching the ball, we won't get infected.

In Test cricket generally, the ball bowled outside the off stump is deliberately left by the batsman in order to avoid getting a knick.

"The #coronavirus is like a bowling machine. It is controlled and bowling outside the off stump. As long as we aren't touching the away going deliveries we will be fine n eventually we will save our wicket and save the test match for our country... #stayhome #lockdown," Irfan tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will remain under lockdown till May 3 to contain COVID-19 cases.

The 21-day lockdown, which was announced by the Prime Minister last month, was slated to end today.

With the sharpest ever increase of 1,463 new positive COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 29 deaths, the total number of coronavirus cases in India on Tuesday climbed to 10,815, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.