Sourav Ganguly Comments on Gambhir's Tense Exchange with Pitch Curator

Ganguly Weighs In on Gambhir's Dispute with The Oval's Pitch Curator

In Kolkata, former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly addressed the recent confrontation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and pitch curator Lee Fortis at The Oval ahead of the fifth Test. Ganguly suggested that such disagreements are not uncommon in cricket and should not be overly scrutinized.

During a press conference, Ganguly noted that Gambhir's altercation with Fortis stemmed from concerns over practice facilities and access to the pitch for inspection. The incident escalated when Gambhir animatedly gestured and exchanged words with Fortis. India's batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, intervened, attempting to mediate the situation.

Kotak, along with other Indian management members, engaged with an English official to clarify the circumstances. While Kotak worked to ease tensions, Gambhir remained vocal, asserting, "You don’t tell us what to do," as he gestured towards Fortis.

Reflecting on the incident, Ganguly remarked, "I’m not sure why Gambhir was upset. All captains and coaches have discussions with groundsmen, sometimes positively and sometimes negatively. This has happened in the past and will continue in the future. Let’s not make too much of it. I hope India performs well and levels the series."

India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate joined Kotak in discussions with Fortis, while Gambhir continued to express his frustrations. Fortis, when approached by reporters, declined to comment, stating, "It’s not my job to be happy with him. You’ll have to ask him."

This incident reflects the heightened emotions that have characterized the recent Tests in London and Manchester. In the third Test at Lord's, tensions flared when captain Shubman Gill confronted Zak Crawley, believing he was wasting time to prevent India from bowling another over.

As the fifth Test at Old Trafford approached its conclusion, emotions surged again, particularly with Jadeja nearing a century. England's bowlers struggled, and Jadeja hit a six to secure his fifth Test century, amidst banter with England's captain Ben Stokes.

Currently, India is trailing 1-2 in the series, with the fourth Test ending in a draw. In the fifth Test, England won the toss and chose to field first. At the end of the first session, India stood at 72/2, with Sai Sudharsan and Gill at the crease after losing both openers early.

England's Playing XI includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue. India's lineup features Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (w), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj.