India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis encountered each other once again ahead of the fifth Test between England and India, scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 31, at The Oval. The two had previously clashed in a heated exchange when Fortis reportedly instructed Gambhir not to stand too close to the pitch, leading to a verbal altercation that stirred controversy.
This time, the interaction was more restrained. As Gambhir stood near the pitch alongside other Indian support staff, Fortis approached and engaged in a brief conversation. Captain Shubman Gill was also present during the exchange. Fortis appeared to request that the group shift slightly from their position near the pitch, and they complied.
You can watch the video here:
When Lee Fortis met Gautam Gambhir again…#ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/rw9JLgqD8N
— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) July 30, 2025
Batting Coach Sitanshu Kotak Comes Out In Support Of Gambhir
Following the controversy, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak came to Gautam Gambhir’s defense. He clarified that the team members were wearing spikes and insisted that they were not causing any harm to the pitch.
“When we were looking at the pitch, they asked us to stand 2.5m away. We were wearing joggers. It was very odd. Looking at the wicket with rubber spikes, nothing wrong. We see the ground is not damaged. It’s a pitch, not antique,” he was quoted as saying by India Today.
Kotak further stated that Gautam Gambhir was unhappy with the tone used by the curator during their earlier exchange. He also pointed out that the Oval pitch curator has had strained interactions with visiting captains and coaches in the past, a pattern Kotak was quick to acknowledge.
“The curator yelled at support staff when they were getting ice box. Gambhir objected to that. The way he spoke irked Gambhir. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not the easiest person to deal with,” he said. (via the aforementioned source)
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