BCCI INSIST DELHI CAN STILL HOST GAMES DESPITE SMOG PROBLEMS

Sri Lanka's players had to wear facemasks in the field over the weekend

The BCCI say Delhi will continue to be considered as a host city for India Test matches despite startling scenes involving Sri Lanka's players over the weekend.

The third Test match between the sides was interrupted during its second day on Sunday, as the tourists complained about the smog engulfing the ground.

A number of the Sri Lankans were taken ill by the toxic cloud - a result of Delhi's pollution problem - and most wore facemasks while in the field.

Play was stopped for 15 minutes while umpires Joel Wilson and Nigel Llong consulted with both sides, while Virat Kohli declared India's innings closed at a time when only 10 of the visitors were considered well enough to take the field.

Despite those incidents, however, and with Delhi suffering from 'very poor' air quality as defined by the World Health Organisation, India cricket's governing body will not rule out future matches at the venue.

"Scheduling of matches in Delhi during this time of the year will be considered," BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary is reported to have said at the close of the third day's play in Delhi.

"If Sri Lanka Cricket had concerns regarding scheduling, they didn't express them to us."

The problems caused by the toxic air continued into the third day, during which Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal complained of feeling uneasy at the crease and was seen to by medical personnel.

^{Delhi has been struggling with air pollution}

India paceman Mohammed Shami, however, suggested that the situation was not as bad as depicted by the images of Sri Lankans doubling over and wearing masks, which have been shared around the world.

"Obviously this pollution is a problem but it wasn't as much as it was being shown. It could be that we're used to it," Shami said.

"It is possible that we've been bearing it for some time now. People are now used to bearing the problem."

On Sunday, Sri Lanka coach Nic Pothas had claimed that his players had needed to be given oxygen in the changing rooms with the smog at its worst.

"It is well documented that Delhi has high levels of pollution," Pothas said.

"They had got extremely high at one point, we had players coming off the field and vomiting. There were oxygen things in the dressing room.

"It is not normal for players to suffer in that way while playing the game. From our point of view, it has to be stated that it is a very very unique case."

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