It happened for very ‘first time’ in international cricketing history that players were seen wearing face masks to combat air pollution on field.
Sri Lankan players on Sunday were seen with masks during the third Test match against India at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.
The play was halted for more than 10 minutes after the visiting team lodged a protest at hazardous pollution inside the stadium.
The sight of seeing Sri Lankan cricketers donning face masks on the field bothered commentators Sanjay Manjrekar and Russel Arnold who agreed it would get difficult to play with masks on.
The umpires called a break to discuss the health concerns and after a plenty of discussions lasted 20 minutes with match referee, both captains and medical teams, the play was finally resumed.
In recent months, Delhi pollution has become a menace for the Delhiites in recent months. Crop burning and heavy traffic are among the main factors spoiling the air quality in the Indian capital city.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) level in New Delhi on Sunday was registered as ‘hazardous’, with PM 2.5 level measured at 316. Just two days ago, the pollution level in the capital had entered “severe” category in several areas.
