Gambhir vs Fortis round 2 at The Oval: What happened when Indian head coach met pitch curator again
On Wednesday, The Oval's curator Lee Fortis once again reportedly asked India head coach Gautam Gambhir and batter Shubman Gill to move away from the pitch area during training—this, just a day after an earlier altercation had already drawn attention.
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The latest face-off happened when Gambhir, Gill, and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak were seen standing near one of the pitches. Fortis approached the group and gestured for them to shift away. While the trio moved, Gambhir reportedly did not acknowledge the curator, maintaining a cold silence throughout.
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The previous incident on Tuesday had seen Gambhir engage in a heated exchange with Fortis, pointing fingers and speaking animatedly. Kotak intervened and had a brief discussion with Fortis, trying to de-escalate the moment.
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On Thursday morning, the tension remained palpable. "You don't tell us what to do," Gambhir told Fortis from near the nets, as Kotak and India's assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate tried to hold a conversation with the curator. Fortis responded briefly before walking away.
"It's not my job to be happy with him. I don't know, you have to ask him," Fortis told reporters.
Kotak and a few other Indian management officials were later seen explaining the sequence of events to an English official, with Kotak doing most of the talking.
Speaking ahead of the match, opener Shubman Gill said, "I don't know what exactly happened yesterday and why the pitch curator did what he did. We have played four matches, and no one tried to stop us. Everyone has played so much cricket, and the coaches and the captain have gone and seen the wicket so many times. I don't know what the fuss was all about."
Gill added that it is standard for players and team staff to inspect pitches closely, especially if they are barefoot or wearing rubber spikes—something commonly done in international cricket preparations.
The series stands at 2-1 with England having an edge, and the final Test begins today, with all eyes not just on the pitch—but what unfolds around it.
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