Sick Shami adds to pollution debate

NEWDELHI: While Sri Lanka have made it clear its players are suffering in Delhi pollution, the Indian camp has taken a diametrically opposite line saying the visitors “unnecessarily” halted the game on Day 2 and “exaggerated” a bit.

Sri Lanka fielders wore face masks on Tuesday and pacer Suranga Lakmal vomitted on the field and was helped off it. India’s unsympathetic stance came into fresh focus after Mohammed Shami threw up on the field while bowling and went off.

To add to it, a doctor went to the Sri Lankan dressing room on Tuesday morning and ran tests on the players with a pulse oximeter to check lung function and pulse.

Dr AP Bhalla, who reportedly took ICC Match Referee David Boon’s permission, later told reporters the players he checked seemed okay.

Sri Lanka coach, Nic Pothas, was bemused by Bhalla’s suggestion that his players could be making a big deal out of it. “Some tests were done; I’ve no idea what they tell you, what they don’t. We saw, at the end of today Mohammed Shami was also struggling… A situation is a situation, so let’s get on with it… I’m not a doctor, so I have no idea what these tests tell you, what we are testing, why are we testing. It doesn’t make anything go away. The guys had great attitude through the day.”

‘SOME MAY STRUGGLE’

India opener Shikhar Dhawan, the local boy, was repeatedly asked on Tuesday if he too subscribed to similar views. Dhawan conceded some could struggle. “See, it could be that they (Sri Lanka players) aren’t accustomed to such kind of conditions. There are players even in our side who could struggle. But it’s our job (playing) and we have to complete it,” Dhawan told reporters.