A file image of the Sri Lanka cricket team on field.
The third day of the second Test started almost 90 minutes late on Saturday after Sri Lanka was told to play with a different ball against host West Indies and given a five-run penalty.
Umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould ruled that the tourists, who lost the first Test, had altered the condition of the ball during West Indies' ongoing first innings.
The umpires decided to change the match ball, which was 44.3 overs old, ahead of the third day in St. Lucia. That prompted Sri Lanka's players to stay in their dressing room.
Indian match referee Javagal Srinath upheld Gould and Dar's decision, with West Indies' overnight total rising from 118-2 to 123-2 in reply to Sri Lanka's 253 all out.
Sri Lanka's players then took to the field at 10:50 a.m. local time, 50 minutes after the scheduled start, but did not start play for another 40 minutes as the dispute continued with Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal arguing with the umpires.
The tourists had gathered on the boundary but, after further negotiations, Lahiru Kumara finally resumed his 14th over with a replacement ball selected by the West Indies batsmen.
After 56 overs, West Indies had reached 150-3.
West Indies won the first Test at Port of Spain by 226 runs. The teams are scheduled to play a third Test, a day-night encounter, beginning June 23 at Bridgetown, Barbados.
(With AP Inputs)
