Delhi: As millions of Indians watched a televised cricket match this week between the national teams of India and Sri Lanka, the game suddenly stopped.

The pollution in New Delhi is especially bad right now, and one of the Sri Lankan players could barely breathe. He leaned over, put his hands on his knees and started throwing up on live television.

Indian motorists ride past a thick blanket of smog and dust on the outskirts of Delhi, India. Credit:AP

The Sri Lankan cricketers were clearly not ready for Delhi's foul air, which this week contained 22 times the level of hazardous particles that the World Health Organisation considers acceptable.

"Every newspaper has been carrying headlines that the air pollution was going to be higher this week. Still you took no action. Even the players were playing the match wearing masks," the court said. "Are the people of Delhi supposed to bear this?"