WATCH | Gamage and Lakmal walk off the field amidst confusion surrounding Delhi’s air quality
In cricket, games have been stopped due to bad weather, insufficient light, injuries, and even bee attacks, but today fans in Delhi saw an “Oxygen break” being taken during the game. Due to the bad quality of air in Delhi, Lahiru Gamage had to be treated after he was facing problems in breathing.
India started Day 2 full of confidence after having scored 371/4 at stumps on Day 1. With Virat Kohli in supreme form, India started the second day where they had left off as the Indian skipper raced to his sixth double century in just over a year. However, that wasn’t the biggest talking point of the day.
After bowling the third ball of 123rd over, Gamage sunk to his knees and started coughing, following which he looked completely out of breath. The Sri Lankan doctor rushed onto the field to attend to the ailing bowler as players, wearing masks, gathered around their teammate. As the camera panned to the batsmen, R Ashwin appeared to be coughing as well.
The air-quality index at the Feroz Shah Kotla was placed at "very unhealthy" for the day and the players seemed to be struggling in the pollution-full air. This resulted in Dinesh Chandimal having a long conversation with the umpires about the safety of the playing conditions at the end of which the Sri Lankan skipper had a small team meeting and decided to carry on. Ironically, on the very next ball, Gamage sent Ashwin packing as the Indian edged a ball to gully. However, as Gamage finished the over and bowled three balls for the next one, he walked off the field, not able to play anymore. A couple of overs later, Lakmal followed his bowling partner into the pavilion, not to return again.
After Lakmal walked off the field, Sri Lankan team manager Asanka Gurusinha walk in to discuss the conditions with the umpire. Seeing this Ravi Shastri, too, made his way out to sort out the problem. Eventually, the umpires decided that the conditions, though not ideal, were good enough to conduct a game of cricket.