Virat batted close to two days, he didn't need a mask: Bharat Arun

In an interesting turn of events, Indian captain Virat Kohli scored his career-best 243 as the hosts declared on 536/7. Sri Lanka in reply scored 131/3 at the end of second day’s play at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. There was a 17-minute break as the Sri Lankan players were seen wearing pollution mask while the Indian batsmen took a breather from the action.

Kohli was dismissed soon after and Lankan pacer Suranga Lakmal had to leave the field due to the poor quality of air. The visiting sides’ skipper Dinesh Chandimal stopped the action as he found out a player was missing from the field, as they were fielding with 10 players instead of eleven.

Annoyed at the way the last hour panned out, Kohli declared the Indian innings and wanted to have a go at the Lankan batters. He was animated and didn’t look too much pleased. But post the game, India’s bowling coach Bharat Arun cleared the air saying they were looking for anything around 55 and that is why they declared soon.

“We were looking at a total of 550, it was pretty close to that. So we thought we might as well declare,” India bowling coach Bharat Arun said, trashing all the talks of a forced declaration.

Bharat Arun takes a jibe at the Lankans

“Virat batted close to two days, he didn’t need a mask,” added Arun, referring to the Sri Lankan side, as they walked out wearing pollution masks post lunch. “We’ve focused on what we need to do and achieve for the team. Conditions are same for both teams. There is pollution everywhere in India. BCCI has fixed the schedule. Our job is to go and play so we are focusing on that.”

“I think it’s an abnormal case, I leave it with the ICC (International Cricket Council),” Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas said of the conditions. “I think the match referee and the umpires will file a report to the ICC. Our job is to play cricket.”