WATCH: Gautam Gambhir engages in heated argument with Oval pitch curator ahead of fifth Test; intense video from practice session goes viral on social media.
New Delhi: The fifth and final Test match between India and England is to be played at the Oval from July 31. But before that, an unexpected incident came to light during the Indian team’s practice session on Tuesday. There was a heated argument between the team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis, the video of which is now becoming increasingly viral on social media.
Heated atmosphere during net session
This practice session of India was optional, in which the players reached the field. During this, there was a dispute between Gambhir and the curator. The dispute escalated so much that batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had to intervene. He took Fortis away, but Gambhir kept expressing his displeasure from a distance. He looked very agitated throughout.
Sitanshu Kotak told the reason for the dispute
After the dispute, in the press conference, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak told the real reason for this. He said, “When we were looking at the wicket, Fortis sent a man and told us to stay 2.5 meters away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers and did nothing wrong. Whatever the groundsman said is his opinion, but there was no blame on us.”
A heated conversation between Gautam Gambhir and the Oval curator. pic.twitter.com/EN4m1qJKH2
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 29, 2025
Fortis refused to recognize Gambhir
After this controversy, Lee Fortis refused to recognize Gautam Gambhir in a private interview. He said, “I don’t know who he is.” Apart from this, he has clearly refused to comment on this whole matter.
There have been controversies in the series before
The ongoing series between India and England has been surrounded by controversies before. In the Lord’s Test, Shubman Gill expressed displeasure over the English batsmen coming to the field late. In the Manchester Test, England wanted a draw, while India was waiting for a century from its batsmen. Currently, England is leading the series 2-1 and India will have a chance to equalize in the Oval Test.
