There was a heated argument on Tuesday between India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval’s chief curator Lee Fortis. This incident took place just a day before the final Test match, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday (31 July) at The Oval in London.
According to PTI, Gambhir appeared upset about the nature of the pitch and went straight to the curator for a discussion after arriving at the ground. The two were seen disagreeing over the pitch’s condition and how it might play during the match.
It’s worth noting that the fourth Test of the series between India and England ended in a draw at Manchester. England currently lead the series 2–1, and India have the opportunity to level the series by winning this last match. With so much at stake, the Indian team management does not want to face any uncertainty or surprises related to the pitch. Now, all eyes are on The Oval Test to see whether the surface will favour the batters or assist the bowlers.
What happened during the Gambhir–curator argument?
Sources say that Gautam Gambhir and The Oval’s chief curator Lee Fortis got into a heated exchange while India prepared for their fifth and final Test at the venue. Gambhir was even heard saying, “You are just a groundsman here.” The argument broke out near the nets when players were marking their run-up areas.
Later, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stepped in, took the curator aside and spoke to him, while Gambhir, still visibly annoyed, continued arguing from a distance.
A video of this incident from the training session has gone viral on social media, clearly showing Gambhir looking agitated.
Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan, who had scored a half-century and a duck in the Manchester Test, was the first to arrive for practice. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was also seen putting in a lot of hard work during the session.