It seems as though controversy isn’t going to leave the series between India and Sri Lanka any time soon with bowling coach, Bharat Arun, taking a dig at the Lankans. The root of the hullabaloo sprouted after the Lankan players started leaving the field one by one, citing the smog as the reason for their discomfort.

As India were desecrating the Lankans, the latter decided to halt play for 26 minutes due to the terrible smog in the air at Delhi. Such was the atrocity that players had to wear masks in order to protect themselves from the nebulous fog filled with filth. 

As a result, Virat Kohli decided to declare after continuous interruptions from the Lankans. The reaction of the away side after Kohli’s declaration, however, baffled many as they visibly enjoyed the Indian captain’s call. 

And now, Indian team’s bowling coach has revealed his annoyance at the Lankan’s tactics, stating that the air didn’t bother Kohli, who batted for nearly two days. 

"Virat batted close to two days. He did not need a mask. We are focussed on what we need to do. The conditions are the same for both teams and we are not too bothered about it." - Bharat Arun. 

He also stated that the job of stopping or resuming play is up to the umpires or the match referee and that the behaviour of the Sri Lankan players was unnecessary.

"I think the umpires and the match referee 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." 

When asked about what chief team coach, Ravi Shastri, was conversing with the officials, Arun lifted the lid on it and said, "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." 

The coach then sang laurels about the captain, praising his meticulous diligence when it comes to taking care of himself as well as his strive to continue improving. 

"His absolute focus is one thing and attention to detail is the key. In terms of fitness and game preparation, he is spot on. He is an example of what you need to be as a cricketer." - Arun on Kohli.

Indeed, in a candid interview with Gaurav Kapur, Kohli stated the importance of taking care of his body in order to become a prominent character on the field. It goes to show that the best are not the best because they are talented, but because they work hard to reach that point.