Mumbai’s first-class clash with Delhi at the Bandra-Kurla Complex started in unusually hazy fashion on Thursday, three home players slipping on disposable face masks after tea to cope with airborne dust. The official air-quality index sat around 160 – already rated “unhealthy” – yet the bigger problem appeared to be a new building site hard up against the ground, its afternoon drilling and debris pushing small clouds across the outfield.
Sarfaraz Khan, his younger brother Musheer, and left-arm spinner Himanshu Singh each fielded for roughly half an hour with masks on before taking them off once the breeze picked up. No Delhi player followed suit, but several were seen wiping eyes and calling for extra drinks.
Mumbai seamer Mohit Avasthi explained the impromptu protection. “There wasn’t any banter [about it], but new construction work is being carried out here and because of that the players were feeling the pollution and having issues in breathing, so they put those on,” he said, matter-of-fact.
High pollution readings are hardly rare in the city, yet mask-wearing in domestic cricket remains a novelty. Match officials did not intervene, and play continued without delay. Still, the episode raised quiet questions: should grounds with active construction next door host fixtures, and what guidelines, if any, exist for on-field air quality? For now, Mumbai will hope the dust settles – literally – before the second day resumes.
