The ongoing 3rd Test match between Indian and Sri Lanka being played at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla again halted for a few minutes on Monday when Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal looked uneasy, apparently, because of air pollution and signaled to the dressing room for medical help.
Sri Lanka's physio was out on the field to assess the situation, leading to a brief halt in play, reported NDTV. However, Chandimal and former captain Angelo Mathews dug deep into their reservoir of experience as Sri Lankan showed some stomach for fight, reaching 270/4 for four at tea.
For the second consecutive day, Sri Lankans players have complained of uneasiness due to bad air quality in the national capital.
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On Sunday, several Sri Lankans players went on the ground wearing facemasks post-lunch break as smog engulfed the city. In all, three Sri Lankan players vomited due to breathlessness, said Sri Lanka team coach Nic Pothas after the day’s play. A total of 21 minutes of play was lost due to the weather conditions.
The Sri Lankans, trailing 0-1 in the series, didn’t want to continue as pacer Lahiru Gamage appeared to be vomiting in the middle of an over while Virat Kohli was batting at 240. At that stage, India were in the driver’s seat with their first-innings total reading 519 for five wickets in the 123rd over. Kohli, batting along with R Ashwin, was keen to continue and as a mark of protect lied down on the field with his pads on even as the umpires confabulate with ICC match referee David Boon of Australia, and later with the two teams’ coaches.
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Kohli looked a bit annoyed at the Sri Lankan protests and his repeated gesture to bowl in the same conditions may have been due to anger and maybe to prove a point. Ironically, when the declaration came the sun was trying to peep out of the haze.
On Monday, the National Green Tribunal on Monday came down heavily on the Delhi government for not filing a comprehensive action plan on ways to deal with severe air pollution in the city and slammed authorities for holding the India-Sri Lanka cricket match despite bad air quality.
"Every newspaper has been carrying headline that the air pollution was going to be higher this week. Still you took no action. Even the players were playing match wearing masks. You should have not held the match if the air quality was so bad. Are people of Delhi supposed to bear this?" the bench said.
