Masks out: Delhi gets to Lankans, they to Indians

New Delhi, December 3
On Sunday, the second day of the final Test between India and Sri Lanka here, viewers witnessed something probably unprecedented on a cricket field.
The Sri Lankan cricketers trooped out of their dressing room after lunch with their faces covered with masks. Evidently, they were struggling because of the air pollution. For the record, at around 1 pm, the Air Quality Index (AQI) measured at the nearest point to the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium was 206, rated as “very unhealthy”. While the air pollution at times gets much worse in the Capital, the Lankans seemed unable to cope with it.
Around 20 minutes into the post-lunch session, things got serious when Lankan pacer Lahiru Gamage couldn’t continue bowling. He doubled up because of the breathing trouble, and the Lankan physio had to rush in to check on him. In the next one hour, the play was stopped three times, with the Lankans complaining to the umpires about the discomfort they were facing.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, who had already notched up his record sixth double hundred, appeared less than amused with Lanka holding up the play. At one stage, India coach Ravi Shastri also strode into the ground, and told the umpires “not to stop, and get on with the game”.
And if there were any doubts about what the Indians thought about the Lankans’ struggle, India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun made it bluntly clear at the end of the day’s play that they didn’t like what they saw. “Virat batted close to two days, he didn’t need a mask,” he said. “We are focussed on what we need to do… the conditions are same for both the teams, we are not too bothered.”
He also brushed aside the suggestion that probably the Indian team and the crowd — the spectators booed the Lankans as losers after Virat Kohli declared the innings — could have been a little more sympathetic and understanding of the Lankans. “Why should we? We are focused more on what we have to do. I don’t think we need to be thinking about what the opposition does. It is their lookout and their problem to keep their bowlers fit,” he retorted.
The Lankans, on the other hand, felt it was a serious situation. “Obviously it is well documented that Delhi has a high level of pollution. It had got extremely high at one point, we had players coming in and vomiting.
There were oxygen cylinders in the dressing room. It is not normal for players to suffer in that way while playing,” said Lanka coach Nic Pothas.
“You could see the two fast bowlers; fast bowling is an intense job. The two guys were struggling. The match referee was in our change room when Suranga was vomiting. Doctors were in there as well. Dhananjaya de Silva was vomiting. It was tough.”
While Arun hinted it was unfair on Lanka’s part to hold up the game, Pothas said they did what they did out of concern for the safety of their players. “Under most circumstances, we wanted to play cricket. We just wanted to have some clarity on the safely of players. When it became unsafe, that is when the conversation started. The safety of the players is of paramount importance.”
Incidentally, two Ranji Trophy matches — Hyderabad vs Tripura and Bengal vs Gujarat — were cancelled without a ball being bowled in Delhi last season because of smog and air pollution. Interestingly, Bharat Arun was coach of the Hyderabad team at that time.