Poor air quality and Sri Lankan players wearing masks highlighted second day’s play in the third and final Test match at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi.
Despite the on-field drama related to polluted air, the hosts – India led by Virat Kohli’s 6th double-hundred took control of the match as they posted 536 for 7 before an agitated Kohli declaring their innings.
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In reply, Sri Lanka were 131 for 3 at close of play with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal consolidating the visitor’s innings.
It was the most bizarre and unprecedented incidents in cricket, when the visitors started complaining of air pollution in New Delhi in the post-lunch session.
Lahiru Gamage complained of discomfort while bowling, resulting in a stoppage of play for 16 minutes but after several discussions with the umpires, team management, match referee and players it was decided that the play would carry on.
The stoppage resulted in R Ashwin guiding the first ball after the break straight to gully. But there wasn’t much joy for Gamage, who soon went off the field followed by Suranga Lakmal and Angelo Mathews.
“Four players were vomiting. A couple of players were struggling to breathe. With Sadeera Samarawickrama too unable to take the field due to mild concussions, we were running short of substitute fielders and were explaining our problems to the match officials,” a Sri Lanka Cricket spokesman told Cricbuzz.
As per aqicn.org – a website that records real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for more than 60 countries – the situation in most parts of Delhi, including the ITO which is less than 3kms away from the stadium, was recorded as ‘Very Unhealthy’ on Sunday, with some other parts of the city even being ‘Hazardous’.
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The distractions, though, worked when Virat Kohli was trapped leg before by Lakshan Sandakan after a brilliant 243, despite a review by the batsman. Soon after Kohli’s exit, Sri Lanka were left with just ten fit cricketers.
Despite that, play seemed set to go on with Manoj Abeywickrama (Fielding Coach) and Nick Lee (Trainer) were getting ready to walk in as a substitute fielder, but Kohli ended the drama by deciding to bowl.
Kohli dominated the day with his bat smashing his sixth double-ton in Test cricket, the most by a captain. Each of those six double-centuries have come in the last 18 months, indicating his hunger for big runs.
When play resumed earlier, Sri Lanka to take some early breakthroughs, took the second new ball in the 97th over but Kohli greeted it by flicking Suranga Lakmal through mid-on for four.
Kohli slowed down due to a back struggle but scored runs convincingly while Rohit Sharma was more flamboyant in the way he crossed his milestone of a half-century, hammering Perera for a six straight down the ground.
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Sharma fell in the last over of the first session, edging Sandakan to the keeper, a decision that was confirmed on review by the batsman.
Sri Lanka’s reply began with a peach from Mohammed Shami taking Dimuth Karunaratne’s edge to the keeper in the very first ball. Ishant Sharma soon had Dhananjaya de Silva trapped plumb leg before, restricting the islanders to 14 for 2.
Dilruwan Perera, who opened in place of Sadeera Samarawickrama, batted beautifully scoring 42 off 54 with 9 fours. Samarawickrama had suffered from concussion after a blow on the helmet while fielding yesterday.
Perera was adjudged LBW courtesy a review off Ravindra Jadeja despite the batsman coming down the track to meet the ball outside his crease. Perera’s dismissal brought an end to a 61-run stand for the 3rd wicket.
Former skipper Angelo Mathews struggled initially, was dropped on 6 by Kohli at second slip but eventually found his mojo and brought up his 29th Test fifty with two consecutive sixes off Ashwin.
Skipper Chandimal looked solid in the middle to hang in with Mathews till stumps as they added an unbroken 56-run stand for the 4th wicket.
