CHENNAI: With the Indian Test cricketers soon to embark on a four-month tour of England to take part in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand (scheduled from June 18-22) followed by a five-match Test series against England, the family time that they are getting since returning from a curtailed IPL is invaluable.
Interestingly, Washington’s father M Sundar is staying away from his son to minimize any risk of the all-rounder contracting Covid before he joins up with the Indian team in Mumbai.
With Sundar working as an administrative officer in the Income Tax department in Chennai, his work requires him to go to office 2-3 days in a week. And with the number of Covid cases in Chennai being quite high, Sundar has decided to not stay in the same house as his son as a precautionary measure. “Since Washington returned home from the IPL, I have been staying in another house. My wife and daughter are staying with Washington since they don’t step out of the house. I am only seeing him on video calls. I am having to go to office a few days in a week. I don’t want him to contract Covid because of me,” Sundar told this daily on Monday.
According to Sundar, who is also his son’s coach, Washington has always dreamt of playing Test cricket in England and considers the upcoming tour as a very important milestone in his career. “He has always wanted to play at Lord’s and at other venues in England. It has been a long-standing aim of his. He doesn’t want to miss out on this tour at any cost.” In 2018, Washington had been picked for the T20I and ODI series in England, but an injury suffered during a warm-up drill on the tour meant that he had to return home without playing a single game. The left-hander has made some vital contributions with the bat in Test cricket since making his debut in Australia earlier this year.