'Not my job to be happy with him': Oval pitch curator reacts to Gautam Gambhir's heated spat

Lee Fortis, Gautam Gambhir (Photo: Screengrab/ANI)

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was on Tuesday involved in a heated verbal exchange with Lee Fortis, the chief curator at The Oval in London, during the team's practice session, just days before the decisive final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy begins on Thursday.

The confrontation appeared to stem from dissatisfaction with the practice facilities provided to the Indian team, as reported by news agency PTI. According to eyewitnesses, the disagreement quickly escalated into a fiery exchange. Gambhir, visibly agitated, was seen pointing his finger at Fortis and mouthing sharp words as tensions flared on the field.

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak swiftly intervened in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. He led Fortis away from the practice area and engaged in what seemed to be a calm but firm conversation, likely to convey the Indian camp's concerns regarding the pitch or training arrangements.

Despite Kotak's efforts to pacify the situation, Gambhir remained visibly displeased and continued to gesture towards Fortis from near the nets. Eyewitnesses reported the India coach firmly stating, 'You don't tell us what to do'.

India's assistant coach, Ryan ten Doeschate, also joined Kotak in the discussion with the Oval curator. Meanwhile, Fortis, after a few final words exchanged with Gambhir, eventually walked away from the scene without further engagement.

When approached by reporters, Fortis declined to offer a detailed explanation. Responding curtly, he said, "It's not my job to be happy with him. I don't know, you have to ask him. You saw what he was like this morning. It's okay, I am fine. We have nothing to hide..."

Kotak, along with other members of the Indian support staff, was later seen speaking to an English official, likely to address the matter formally. Kotak appeared to take the lead in the conversation.

The altercation has drawn attention just days before the high-stakes fifth Test, where India hopes to secure the series after staging a dramatic comeback in Manchester.

India's probable XI for 5th Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England's probable XI for 5th Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue/Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson