Gautam Gambhir, chief curator clash at The Oval
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is then seen stepping in, taking Lee away and having a brief conversation with him. India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also joins Kotak during his conversation with Lee, while Gambhir, standing away, continues to make his point as he stands on the edge of a batting net.
Later in the news conference on Tuesday, Kotak said: 'When we were having a conversation near the pitch they had sent a man to send a message for us to stay 2.5m away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers, so it was awkward.'
'We know curators are overprotective and possessive about the square. What he (Gambhir) said about the head coach is his opinion and I don't want to comment. We did nothing wrong, we were wearing rubber spikes. Even the bowlers were not wearing spikes.
'The curator also needs to know that the people he is talking to are highly skilled and intelligent people. You can be protective about the square, but not arrogant. It is not an antique that you can't touch or it will be broken. He said we are trying to grow the grass but we were wearing joggers so we didn't see the problem.
'The curator yelled at support staff when they were getting an ice box. It weighs 10kg. Gambhir objected to the way he spoke with the support staff. The way he spoke irked Gambhir as it would any head coach. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not the easiest person to deal with. We won't be lodging any official complaint,' he added.
Kotak clarified that the wicket has grass like other venues, barring Manchester which saw the only drawn Test. The series has not been short of drama. Words were exchanged between India captain Shubman Gill and England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the final moments of Day 3 in the Lord's Test. India accused England of employing time wasting tactics to deny them the opportunity to bowl a second over, and possibly get an early breakthrough.
In the fourth Test at Old Trafford, words were exchanged when late in the final session of the match after Ben Stokes offered to shake hands on a draw and Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, batting on 89 and 80 respectively, insisted on carrying on, having battled to thwart England's bid for victory.
Stokes was heard saying, 'Jaddu, do you want to get a Test hundred against Brook and Duckett?' Jadeja responded, 'What do you want me to do, just walk off?' Crawley, who stood close by, chipped in: 'You can, just shake your hand.'
Jadeja and Sundar both scored hundreds before the draw was eventually agreed. India's stand, to let the two batters reach the landmark, has largely been endorsed.
India trail the series 1-2, but having managed to keep the series alive by drawing the Old Trafford game, can hope to push for victory to finish on level terms.
The latest incident promises to add more drama to the build-up for the Oval Test.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Agony or ecstasy? One last hurrah awaits India, England in fitting finale to showdown for the ages
If only Mohammed Siraj hadn't stepped on the rope… A thrilling finish is on the cards in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. (PTI) … but then, we would have had this classic, would we? Glass half-empty? Or half-full? More importantly, what does your gut tell you? Will England knock off the 35 runs required on Monday morning (the forecast shows 0 per cent rain till 1 PM, but who really knows) to complete the most sensational of victories? Will Mohammed Siraj, who keeps coming and coming like Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, and his pace-bowling brothers conjure the four wickets remaining and take their team to a famous 2-2 draw? And hey, what about a tie, perhaps the most fitting ending to a series that has surpassed all expectations, bucked all predictions? My gut, if anyone cares, is tight; my gut feel is hopelessly off-radar. On Sunday, as we trooped into The Oval, I foresaw Ollie Pope trapped leg before or losing his leg-stump, falling over trying to work Siraj's remaining ball of his unfinished over to leg. Instead, what we got was a solid push to mid-off. Forget gutfeel, focus on the game, one told oneself, through gnashed teeth and bruised ego. But that shouldn't stop you. Gutfeel is often overshadowed by want. For India's supporters and England's. The want of a victory. The want of one decisive telling statement in a series full of eloquent those. The want of the final salvo being fired, of the target hitting home, of the unmatched delight that success brings. Even if it's not one's own success, it sometimes feels that way. This is one such instance. How we have arrived at this denouement has been a fabulous, unmatched experience. Indian followers will insist their team should have sewn up this series by the end of Lord's, the realists and neutrals will say 2-1 to India at the time. But this isn't about what might have been. This is about what it is. And now, about what could be over a gripping hour or so on the final day of a series that will see action for a 25th day on the trot. What more could one ask for? So, what might Monday have in store that the preceding 24 days haven't? No, really, what could it? We have seen just about everything there is to see. Spectacular centuries. Inexplicable collapses. Incredible spells of bowling. Other-worldly shows of courage. And character. How do you match that, let alone top it? And yet, here we are: England 339 for six, 35 required for 3-1 to the hosts. England 339 for six, four wickets needed for 2-2 to the visitors. The red corner, or the blue? Who did the stoppage for bad light and rain on Sunday evening help? Was it the batting side, desperately trying to weather a raging storm, or a bowling attack running on fumes? Holding fort for England are the two Jamies, Smith and Overton, no mugs with the bat. The former averages 51.19 in 15 Tests, the latter 48.50 (but in only his second Test; his first-class average is a handy 21.82 in 98 matches). To follow are Gus Atkinson, who boasts a Test hundred, and Josh Tongue. Oh, and Chris Woakes, him of the dislocated left shoulder. What odds on Woakes walking out with five needed, his left arm in a sling, somehow hoping to take his team over the line? Will that be the final act this series deserves? Or will it be Siraj, whose catch-that-wasn't allowed Harry Brook to breeze from 19 to 111, allowed England to go from a potential 137 for four to 301 for three? All series long, the Hyderabadi has been a gathering force, a sinewy mass of character and steel and skills and nous and with the admirable, scarcely believable blessing of shrugging off heartbreak with unimaginable equanimity. He has bowled more overs (181.2) than anyone else from either side, and he has also taken more wickets (20) than all-comers. It was his unfortunate dismissal, bowled off the middle of the blade to a defensive push, which confirmed India's 22-run loss at Lord's. Isn't it time he got the due that has steadfastly eluded him? Is this the moment the higher powers have reserved for him, for his bravery and perseverance and persistence and positivity, for his jigar? Also Read: 'Ek ghanta zor lagayenge, uske baad…': Shubman Gill's war cry that triggered India's miraculous comeback Will you switch on the TV at 3.30 PM IST with shaking hands and thumping hearts, and then peer at the screen between split fingers because you can't bear to watch the action, but you also can't not watch it? Or wait nervously for a text from a friend, informing you of the result, because you can't take the tension? They say Test cricket is a fading art form, that it is gasping for breath, clutching at straws, desperately in need of oxygen. Maybe they haven't watched this series. At all. So, what is your gut feeling, truly?
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Stuart Broad fumes, slams ‘lazy decision' to call early stumps on Day 4 between India and England: ‘Fans deserved to…'
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India is all set for a grandstand finish on the fifth and final day of the series. The Oval looked set to get over on Day 4 with England running away with the game in the chase of 374. However, Shubman Gill's India had different plans as the visitors staged a memorable comeback in the final session, dismissing Jacob Bethell and Joe Root in quick succession. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton were unable to get bat on bowl, and India had their tails up. Stuart Broad questions the call of early stumps on Day 4(PTI) However, the umpires eventually decided to take the players off the field due to bad light. Soon after, rain started pelting down. The downpour was short-lived; however, the officials decided to call stumps on Day 4 and ask the players to come back out there on the final day. Former England pacer Stuart Broad has now raised questions about the call to force early stumps, labelling the decision 'lazy.' He stated that the fans deserved the Test match to end on Sunday as the atmosphere truly called for it. It must be mentioned that as soon as stumps were called, there was bright sunshine at the Oval. Had the authorities been a little more flexible with the rules, the players would have had the chance to return to the field and end the game on Day 4 itself. According to the official rules and regulations, the players had to be back on the field by 11:12 PM IST at the maximum. However, the umpires called stumps around 11 PM IST. The decision was taken after the on-field officials, Ahsan Raza and Kumar Dharmasena, spoke with the groundstaff. Also Read: 'Ek ghanta zor lagayenge, uske baad…': Shubman Gill's war cry that triggered India's miraculous comeback 'Still 20 mins away from possible start time, everyone has their sunglasses on at the train station. Felt the supporters deserved to see a finish to that Test Match today. Felt a lazy decision to call it off at 6pm, in my opinion. I wonder who makes it?' Broad wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Advantage England All results are possible when England and India take the field on Day 5 of the Oval Test. The hosts need 35 more runs for the win while India need four wickets to make it 2-2 in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. However, England has a slight advantage as the home team will have a chance to use a heavy roller on the final day, which might settle down the pitch slightly. India cannot be ruled out as Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj had their tails up in the final session on Day 4, and the duo would hope for a final burst. The new ball is also around the corner, and a thrilling finish awaits. Earlier, Harry Brook and Joe Root put on 195 runs for the fourth wicket to put England in the driver's seat at the Oval Test. If the hosts indeed chase down 374, then this would be their third chase of more than 350 runs against India in the last three years.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Mohammed Siraj himself said, ‘I want to play and win Oval Test' despite heavy workload: ‘He's willing to run in all day'
Mohammed Siraj has emerged as a true workhorse for India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. The pacer has been running in throughout the five-match series, and he is one of only two players to feature in all five Tests. The right-arm pacer has 20 scalps to his name in the series so far. It was Siraj who kept charging in on Day 4 of the Oval Test despite Harry Brook and Joe Root going hell for leather. The pacer kept bowling probing line and lengths, and eventually, his hard work led to Prasidh Krishna picking up wickets at the other end. Mohammed Siraj is the leading wicket-taker in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. (PTI) India bowling coach Morne Morkel has now revealed that there were conversations with Siraj regarding his workload prior to the Oval Test, but it was the 31-year-old himself who wanted to play the match and stand up for India in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj has bowled more than 180 overs so far in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He has kept charging in despite his body taking a lot of toll. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah has brought out the best in the Indian pacer, as he took the charge of being the leader of the attack. 'I said it earlier in the Test series, I'm very happy for Siraj that he's getting the recognition. He's a guy in that changing room who will lead the way; he's a natural leader. Although vocally, he doesn't speak a lot, I think he leads a lot with his actions," Morne Morkel told reporters after stumps on Day 4. Also Read: Mohammed Siraj refuses to make eye contact after schoolboy error costs India huge wicket 'In this series, he's done it with the ball at times when we've needed somebody to put his hand up and create something. Even if it was bowling an extra two to three overs or creating an opportunity for us, he's been that guy,' he added. Siraj has put in the effort Siraj returned with four wickets in the first innings of the Oval Test, while in the second innings, he has taken two wickets so far, dismissing Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope. "He's put in the effort, and it's just nice to see the rewards and today again at the back end, stepping up, getting the support behind the team to lift us in the crucial moments, it's those sort of smart plays that you need, and for me, Siraj has just been outstanding,' Morkel said. Before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy even started, the team management knew that Jasprit Bumrah would be playing just three Tests. Hence, Siraj decided to step up. It must be mentioned that Siraj even played all the matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. 'I think he just enjoys that opportunity when it's given to him, and he said it yesterday, he just loves playing for India and putting the shirt on and performing. That's what you want from a fast bowler — an important series, five Tests, a guy that's always willing to take the ball and a guy who's always putting his hand up to say, 'listen, I want to do it for the team'," said Morkel. 'Even before the start of the Test, there were conversations with him just to check in on how he was feeling mentally and how he was feeling physically because of the amount of overs. But he was the first guy to say, 'Listen, I want to play this Test match, I want to win it for the team'. So not just the bowling front, but it's the attitude for me that is great, and you've got a guy with an attitude like that, he's willing to run in all day, I'm not surprised, that's why he's got the numbers,' he added. Heading into the fifth and final day of the Oval Test, all results are possible. England need 35 more runs for the win while India require four wickets.
