A game of street cricket in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India came to an ugly end after the participants attacked policemen who came to shut the match down, according to a report in the New India Express.

A 21-day nationwide lockdown was imposed by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at midnight on Wednesday in the hope of slowing the spread of Covid-19 through the country.

In address to the nation, Modi said: “There will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes. The entire country will be in lockdown, total lockdown. To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family… every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown.”

Police in Madhya Pradesh were alerted to news that a group of “youths” were playing cricket in the open, flouting the rules set my Modi the previous day. Upon arrival at the scene, the people involved with the game threw stones at the policemen trying to break up the game. One policeman was reportedly slapped by one of the people taking part.

Local residents then furthered the assault on the policemen, hurling more stones at them as the struggle continued. Inspector Yogendra Singh Sisodiya said of the incident: “Coming to know about our team having been attacked, I rushed with reinforcements to the concerned locality, but the local residents continued to pelt stones on the cops from the terrace of their houses, resulting in injuries to at least four cops.

“Two women and two men have been arrested from the spot.”

Madhya Pradesh reported its first death related to Covid-19 earlier today.