In one of the most bizarre incidents to take place during a cricket match, play during on Day 2 of the third and final Test between India and Sri Lanka had to be halted briefly after the visiting players, wearing pollution masks, complained about the air quality in Delhi. The play was halted for 17 minutes in the post-lunch session after the Sri Lankans, led by their skipper Dinesh Chandimal, wanted to leave the field of play complaining of severe pollution. Fans on Twitter were not too impressed with the extent of the commotion caused by the Sri Lankan players.
What made fans more irate on Twitter was the fact that after India's declaration, all Sri Lankan batsmen who came out to bat did so without any pollution mask.
Even captain Kohli was visibly unhappy with the situation while batting and once even threw his bat to the ground with frustration.
These same players will play in IPL matches in Delhi without any masks. And many of your selfish players already retired to play franchises.
— Abhishek Singla (@abhishek_singla) December 3, 2017
These Sri Lankan Players are not just average Cricketers, they are average Actors too!#IndvSL #IndvsSL
— ROHIT (@TheRohitGulati) December 3, 2017
Sri Lankan Team Deserves An Oscar They're Wasting Their Talent In Cricket.
— tabiya (@TaniyaSharma777) December 3, 2017
@OfficialSLC players are doing over actings over Delhi pollutions
— Musannif Azam (@musannif_azam) December 3, 2017
Call them to play an IPL match in December in Kotla
I am sure no one will refuse to play
Money is all maters
As soon as Virat Kohli called for the declaration Lankan players started laughing
— Dexter (@MunnaKaTunna) December 3, 2017
Pollution gone ?#INDvSL
Wow. Sri Lanka has planned this well. Take pollution breaks, get Indian batsmen to lose their concentration. And get them out as soon as play resumes. Can I use some Delhi words to describe this? #INDvSL
— Sohini (@Mittermaniac) December 3, 2017
Sri Lankan Team Deserves An Oscar They're Wasting Their Talent In Cricket.
— tabiya (@TaniyaSharma777) December 3, 2017
Sri Lanka kept complaining about pollution then Kohli told okay come out we will bowl and India takes wicket in first ball Kohli pumped up...
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) December 3, 2017
#mask are Indian team breathing different air? Are Sri Lankan batsman not require masks? #INDvSL
— D Prasanth Nair (@DPrasanthNair) December 3, 2017
No sir. It was exaggeration on their part. Now their batsmen are playing without any masks. Indian players and the umpires and the 17000 odd crowd are not having any issues. It was a negative tactic employed by Sri LANKA.
— Varun Chitnis (@TheVarunChitnis) December 3, 2017
No masks while batting. Weird from Sri Lankan batsman. #IndvSL
— Madan (@FullFaceOfBat) December 3, 2017
Ab kya hua Sri Lankan batsman ko, where are the masks?? Cheap tricksters. #VIRUPANTI @Starsportsindia
— Manoo Bhatnagar (@ManooBhatnagar) December 3, 2017
Irony is that the Sri Lankan Players aren't wearing mask when they're batting. I guess the pollution level just went down!
— Jessy Rajkumari (@RajkumariJessy) December 3, 2017
However, there were a few fans, who were more understanding of the situation and sympathised with the Sri Lankan players.
Sri Lankan players wearing masks sends out unedifying message about Delhi's pollution. State and central govts simply have to address this
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) December 3, 2017
#DelhiPollution The pollution affects the match btw India and Sri Lanka. The Sri lankan players are wearing mask on ground. Its been a long time Delhi facing this problem. Shame on Arwind Kejrival , did'nt took any action to get rid of it. @ZeeNews @ArwindKejrival
— Suraj Choudhary (@skmorningstar) December 3, 2017
lol at people criticising Sri Lankan players
— Desire (@Integritya) December 3, 2017
Many of Sri Lanka's fielders returned from lunch on the second day wearing masks amid visible haze at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. A short while later play was halted for around 20 minutes as Sri Lanka complained to the umpires about the smog.
The Test was delayed as the umpires consulted the match referee, team doctors, and physiotherapists before deciding to resume play.
But the visitors protested twice more and pacemen Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal returned to the pavilion, meaning the Sri Lankans were running short of fielders.
This prompted Indian skipper Virat Kohli to declare his first innings on 536 for seven to get the Sri Lankan fielders off the ground.
- Sri Lankan players complain about Delhi air quality
- Play on Day 2 in Delhi had multiple stoppages
- Fans on Twitter were left fuming
