In one of the most unorthodox incidents happen in the world of cricket to take place during between  India and Sri Lanka cricket match, play during on Day 2 of the third and final Test had to be unfit briefly after the visiting players, wearing pollution masks, complained about the air quality in Delhi. The play was halted nearly around 15 to 17 minutes in the post-lunch session after the visitor Sri Lankans, led by their skipper Dinesh Chandimal, wanted to leave the field of play protesting of severe pollution. Fans on Twitter were not too impressed with the extent of the commotion caused by the Sri Lankan players. What made fans more angry on Twitter was the fact that after India's declaration, all Sri Lankan batsmen who came out to bat did so without any pollution mask.

Even captain Kohli was visibly unhappy with the situation while batting and once even threw his bat to the pitch with frustration while he was batting. Many of Sri Lanka's fielders returned from lunch on the second day wearing masks amid visible haze at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. But the visitors protested twice more and pacemen Lahiru Gamage and Suranga Lakmal returned to the pavilion, meaning the Sri Lankans were running short of fielders. This prompted Indian skipper Virat Kohli to declare his first innings on 536 for seven to get the Sri Lankan fielders off the ground.