A day after the National Green Tribunal slammed the authorities for holding a Test match in the pollution-hit Capital, the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), on Tuesday, conducted a 'medical test' on the Sri Lankans and were declared fit enough to carry on with the game.
The hazardous air quality took centrestage again on Tuesday as Sri Lankan bowler Suranga Lakmal vomitted twice while fielding on the fourth day of the third Test against India at the Feroze Shah Kotla stadium here.
While the Sri Lankans have been accused of exaggerating the problem, Indian bowler Mohammed Shami, too, threw up while bowling later in the day. Ironically after the third day's play, the hosts' pacer had claimed that pollution wasn't as bad a problem as the visitors were making it out to be.
While the groundsmen rushed in to cover the spot with sand and sawdust after Lakmal threw up, the DDCA had their own covering up to do.
The DDCA turned to a specialist from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) — Dr AP Bhalla, professor, Department of Anesthesia, Pain and Critical Care — to conduct a medical check up on the Sri Lankans.
According to an insider, after an interaction with match referee David Boon on the pollution levels, Dr Bhalla went on to check pulse and oxygen levels of three Sri Lankan players — Nirashan Dickwella, Roshan de Silva and Lakshan Sandakan."Their oxygen levels showed readings of 99, 98 and 99, respectively, when the optimum scale should be 100," Dr Bhalla announced in press box area in his apparent attempt to prove that all is well in the Sri Lankan camp.
Meanwhile in the other hemisphere, Australia vs England Ashes Test was being played in Adelaide where the Air Quality Index level was around nine. To put it in perspective, the AQI level in the Capital hovered around 260 on Tuesday.
When asked about the condition of Lakmal, who vomitted after bowling three overs and had to be taken off the field before the lunch interval, Dr Bhalla announced that "he, along with other remaining Sri Lankan players, had refused to undergo tests".
Asked if this test results meant that pollution has not affected anyone inside the ground, Dr Bhalla had no answer and instead offered to conduct the same pulse-oxygen test on the mediapersons covering the match.
On Tuesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Amitabh Choudhary announced that "Delhi would only be awarded an international match from here on after duly considering the pollution levels at that particular time of the year".
"Pollution levels are high, without any doubt. We (BCCI) needs to be sensitive enough to understand concerns of players and teams," Choudhary said on Tuesday, soon after Dr Bhalla claimed all is well with the Sri Lankans.
Chaudhry, however, said that the weather conditions would be taken into account from now onwards while deciding venues for both international and domestic matches.
"We know that in Delhi fog conditions prevail between November last till early January. We can't really predict the pollution levels but we can schedule all our matches, be it international or Ranji, accordingly to avoid situations like this," added Choudhary.
The fourth day's play started with poor visibility level and the floodlights had to be switched on in the morning.
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