India Test resumes in 'unhealthy' smog

NEW DELHI - 4 December 2017: India and Sri Lanka resumed their cricket Test in "unhealthy" air pollution -- 18 times higher than the level considered safe -- in New Delhi on Monday, a day after smog briefly halted play.

Sri Lankan batsmen Angelo Mathews and captain Dinesh Chandimal continued their side's first innings at a haze-shrouded Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, with no repeat of Sunday's protests from the visiting team.

When fielding against India, who scored 536 for seven declared, the Sri Lankan players wore facemasks and coach Nic Pothas said some had vomited on leaving the field.

Monday's play went ahead in hazy conditions. Official indicators showed pollution at similar "unhealthy" levels to Sunday, 18 times what the World Health Organisation considers safe.

Play was halted for around 20 minutes on Sunday as Sri Lankan fielders complained of health problems and the umpires consulted the match referee and team doctors.

Play resumed but Sri Lanka protested twice more, with the visitors soon short on fielders as pacemen Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal returned to the pavilion.

Media reports said India captain Virat Kohli had been angered by what were seen as delaying tactics by the Sri Lankan players.

However during a previous pollution peak last month, Kohli expressed concern at the worsening health threat.

"It's a situation which is only getting worse by the day," Kohli wrote in a Facebook post on November 9.

"If we don't act there are going to be massive problems in future. The kids are going to suffer with diseases," he added.

"So look after your family members, look after the children, whose future really depends on how we look after the current situation."