"Sign Of Frustration": Ex-India Player On Oval Pitch Curator's Spat With Gautam Gambhir
Reacting to the incident, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel came out in strong support of Gambhir, suggesting that the pitch curator's outburst was likely driven by frustration.
"I don't think Gautam Gambhir did anything wrong. The way the pitch curator behaved was just a sign of frustration. Maybe England was thinking they were going to win the series 5-0 and send India back, but this is not happening at all. So we can see all the frustration," he told ANI.
Lee was quizzed about the entire situation, but he chose to remain tight-lipped while speaking to the reporters and said, "It's not my job to be happy with him. I don't know, you have to ask him."
Kotak, along with a couple of members of the Indian management, were seen trying to explain the situation to an English official. Kotak was the one who spoke for the majority of the period.
The dramatic behind-the-scenes encounter echoes the emotions that have boiled over in the past two Tests in London and Manchester. In the third Test at Lord's, temperament frayed, fingers were pointed, emotions ran thin as the element of spice entered the picture.
The final Test of the high-stakes series is set to begin on Thursday. England, who had started the series as favourites, have been caught off guard by a resilient Indian side that has fought back strongly after an early setback.
Gambhir, known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, has always stood up for his team, be it as a player or now in his new role as coach. With just one match left in the series, England leading 2-1, both teams will be looking to end on a high, but the flare-up at The Oval has certainly added a new layer of drama ahead of the final showdown.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
32 minutes ago
- NDTV
Election Commission Uses India's 6-Run Win Against England To Encourage Voting
Thirteen months ago, when India beat South Africa in the final of the ICC World T20, Mohammad Siraj, in an after-match interview, said: "I only believe in Jassi bhai". On Monday, when he walked onto The Oval, England needed 35 runs to win, and they had four wickets in hand. Siraj, who didn't play that final against the Proteas in June 2024, didn't have Jasprit Bumrah with him today. And he told himself: "Believe in yourself." He picked up a fifer and India beat England by six runs to win the fifth and final Test of the series. What looked like a sure-shot English victory on day four turned into a dramatic collapse as Siraj led India to one of the most thrilling comebacks in recent memory. With this win, India levelled the five-match series 2-2, capping off an unforgettable contest. And much like the fans, the Election Commission has tapped into the excitement surrounding the win to promote democratic participation, comparing the win to voting. "Team India wins the 5th Test by just 6 runs! Edge-of-the-seat stuff, because every run is a game-changer. In a democracy, every vote counts just as much. Every eligible elector must enrol in the electoral roll!" they wrote on X. ???? Team India wins the 5th Test by just 6 runs! Edge-of-the-seat stuff, because every run is a game-changer. In a democracy, every vote counts just as much. ✅ Every Eligible Elector must Enroll in the Electoral Roll! ???? @BCCI #INDvsENGTest #OvalTest #TeamIndia #SIR #Bihar — Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 4, 2025 Enrolling in the electoral roll means registering yourself as a voter in the country's official list of eligible voters. The Commission's message comes as it carries out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, ahead of state assembly elections due later this year. The drive, which saw a 99.8 per cent participation, collected around 7.24 crore registration forms. The revision led to the removal of approximately 65.6 lakh names from the rolls, mainly classified as dead, duplicate, migrated, or untraceable, leaving 7.24 crore electors in the draft list released on August 1. Opposition parties have slammed the exclusion of Aadhaar, Voter ID (EPIC), and ration cards as valid documents in the voter roll revision process. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the case and has warned it will intervene if it detects large-scale removal of eligible voters. Earlier, the Court directed the Election Commission to accept these commonly used IDs during the SIR. Coming back to the match, the fifth Test match delivered high drama as England, chasing a formidable target of 374, were in cruise control mode. With tons from Joe Root and Harry Brook, the hosts crossed the 300-run mark and seemed well on course for a memorable win. A stunning reversal followed. Mohammed Siraj delivered a fiery spell, tightening the screws when it mattered most. England's batting order crumbled under pressure, losing their last seven wickets for only 66 runs. Finishing the match, India bowled them out for 367, securing victory by a razor-thin margin of six runs, their narrowest in red ball cricket. AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi also celebrated Mohammed Siraj's stellar performance with a tweet in Hyderabadi slang, " Poora khol diye Pasha," meaning Siraj was at his absolute best. The fast bowler, who took 23 wickets in the five-match series and five in the final innings, was named Man of the Match.
Mint
34 minutes ago
- Mint
'Storm only rattles those who arent ready': Gill on Indias series draw against England
London [UK], August 4 (ANI): Indian skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Rishabh Pant expressed happiness with their team's performances during the recently concluded tour to England and took to their social media to voice out their joy. Both Gill and Pant had a record-breaking series in England as they both fired a massive volume of runs with the bat, ensuring that Indian cricket is in the safe hands following the retirements of stars like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. Taking to Instagram, Gill had a message for his doubters following a 'Player of the Series' performance, saying, "The storm only rattles those who aren't ready for it." During the series, Gill emerged as the leading run-getter, indeed manifesting his aim to be the "best batter of the series" into reality, with 774 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40, with four centuries and a best score of 269. He scored his centuries in a variety of situations, coming into the series with the pressure of performing well outside Asia being heavy on his shoulders, having not crossed the 40-run mark outside Asia since the 91-run knock at Brisbane against Australia in 2021. With a mountain-like volume of runs, Gill tore into cricketing record books like no one did and silenced his critics in style. As a captain, much of his tactical brilliance led to India dominating all the Test matches for significant periods and ensuring they were decided on the final day. Also, vice-captain Pant, who broke numerous records as an Indian/Asian wicketkeeper-batter in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA) conditions, posted that the tour "asked a lot and gave even more in return". "A tour that asked a lot and gave even more in return. Proud of how this team stood up, adapted and kept fighting. Representing the country means everything to us; it takes everything out of you, but we take pride in that. Big thanks to our incredible support staff and the fans who stood by us throughout. This team is hungry, united and here to take Indian cricket forward," he posted. While Pant did not play the fifth Test due to a foot injury, he still ended up as the sixth-highest run-getter with 479 runs in four matches and seven innings at an average of 68.42, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score was 134. One of the biggest moments of the series saw him walk out to bat despite an injured foot during the fourth Manchester Test, in a show of remarkable courage, determination, and a will to do everything to get the country over the finishing line. He delivered a valuable half-century, which added much-needed runs to India's total, helping them draw the match eventually. After England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good. In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs. In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes). Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting. They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series. India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
Deccan Herald
34 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Siraj-inspired India dash England hopes, share series
The newly-coined Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy never had a dull moment with fortunes fluctuating back and forth, and the fifth Test here on Monday too witnessed intense drama before India held their composure brilliantly to score a famous six-run win over hero, and deservedly so, of the incredible victory that helped India share the spoils 2-2 with England, was the lion-hearted Mohammed Siraj. Inspired after downloading an image of his icon Cristiano Ronaldo with the word 'Believe' on the morning, the Hyderabadi dished out a spellbinding display to script a win for the ages for India in front of a sell-out crowd at The 35 runs to defend four wickets to be taken on the final morning, Siraj (5/104) bagged three in 4.1 scorching overs — Karnataka's Prasidh Krishna (4/126) scalped the other one — to not just turn the famous South London venue into a cacophony of noise but an entire country that was glued in front of their televisions on a busy Monday evening, screaming in delight and ecstasy..'Learning' Gill passes the first big test .In a way, the 2-2 result was a just reflection of how hard-fought the series had been between both sides, where no quarter was given and none was asked. At times it turned acrimonious but no one crossed the line, both teams showing great respect for each other after the battles were done and should have won the series opener at Headingley, but their failure to seize the vital moments saw England romp home in a record chase. India then hit back at Edgbaston before England held their composure in a slow-burning Lord's cracker. .The template continued at Old Trafford, where England were in command for four days, but a heroic century from Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar helped India pull off an incredible draw, setting the stage for a riveting climax. And the finale lived up to all the hype, all five days filled with drama, before India held their nerve and found the verve to nick it at the end. The series proved why Test cricket is the ultimate challenge -- alive and kicking.
