The Indian team management was clearly unhappy with the interruptions caused by the Sri Lankan team's issues with the pollution levels in Delhi. Speaking to the media after the match, bowling coach Bharath Arun said that head coach Ravi Shastri went to the field to tell the umpires to get on with the game.
“Ravi’s take was pretty simple. He said 'please get on with the game, you don't need to stop. You take a decision and just get on with the game',” Arun told the media.
While not blaming Lanka outright for gamesmanship or tactics, Arun did question their intent indirectly saying that Indian skipper Kohli who batted for 430 minutes didn't feel any problems due to the smog.
“Virat batted close to two days, he didn't need a mask! We are focused on what we need to do. The conditions are the same for both teams, we aren't too bothered about it.” He said the play was unnecessarily stopped by the Lankans.
Asked whether the pollution levels were a matter of concern for teams and players' health, Arun said, “Definitely, yes. I think the umpires and the match referee, they have a job on hand and it’s not up to the players to go and protest. They know what they are doing. When the play was unnecessarily being stopped, we just wanted to get on with the game because our focus is to win this Test match.”
Asked whether the host team took a human view of the situation Lankans were in, Delhi being notorious for its pollution woes, Arun made it clear that the Indian team was not handing out any sympathies to the visiting Lankans. “We are focused on what we have to do and what we need to do in the Test match. I don't think we need to be thinking about what the opposition does. It's their lookout, their problem to keep their bowlers fit,” he said.
He, however, denied that India was forced to declare due to time wasted over the three interruptions that happened post lunch with Lankan players complaining of breathlessness and nausea due to rising pollution levels.
