Gautam Gambhir's Tense Exchange with Pitch Curator Ahead of Final Test
Gautam Gambhir's Confrontation with Lee Fortis
India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, appears to have disregarded pitch curator Lee Fortis following a heated argument prior to the fifth and final Test against England.
Tensions escalated before the decisive match of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 when Gambhir had a fiery verbal clash with Fortis during a practice session. According to Sitanshu Kotak, India's batting coach, Fortis rudely instructed Gambhir to maintain a distance of '2.5 metres' from the pitch, which provoked an angry response from Gambhir, who deemed the tone inappropriate.
Gambhir reportedly retorted, 'You don’t dictate to us. You’re merely a groundsman; know your role,' further intensifying the dispute.
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The staff at The Oval considered lodging a complaint against Gambhir, but there has been no official word from the England and Wales Cricket Board or Surrey Cricket regarding any formal actions. Nonetheless, this incident has added an unexpected twist to the high-stakes fifth Test.
Gambhir and Fortis Meet Again
The day following their altercation, Gambhir and Fortis encountered each other again on the eve of the Oval Test. A video that circulated on social media showed Gambhir engaged in a serious discussion with Sitanshu Kotak, Ajit Agarkar, and Shubman Gill, likely evaluating the pitch to finalize the playing XI.
During this meeting, Fortis approached the group to discuss the pitch, but Gambhir and Gill appeared to ignore him, while Kotak engaged in conversation with Fortis. The coach, captain, and chief selector then moved away to continue their discussion.
When Lee Fortis met Gautam Gambhir again… #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/rw9JLgqD8N
The confrontation between Gambhir and Fortis occurred shortly after England's captain, Ben Stokes, controversially requested a draw while Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were close to reaching their centuries. Jadeja respectfully declined Stokes's request until both players completed their milestones.
On-Field Tensions Continue
In the Lord's Test, a heated exchange took place between England opener Zak Crawley and India captain Shubman Gill after Crawley was accused of wasting time, contributing to the rising tensions throughout the series.
At a press conference before the Oval Test, Shubman Gill addressed the incident between Gambhir and Fortis. He mentioned that there were no official instructions regarding maintaining a distance from the pitch and expressed uncertainty about the curator's issue with Gambhir.
"As far as I recall, there are no such guidelines (about staying 2.5 metres back). If you're wearing rubber spikes or are barefoot, you should be allowed to inspect the wicket closely," Gill stated.
"I’m not sure what led to the curator's intervention, but we’ve played four matches there previously, and no one has ever stopped us. We’ve all played a lot of cricket and have examined wickets numerous times—whether it’s the coach or the captain—so I’m puzzled by the fuss," he added.
Meanwhile, India aims to level the series, currently trailing 2-1 after a thrilling draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.