A brief but heated exchange between India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval’s pitch curator Lee Fortis ahead of the fifth and final Test against England drew attention on the eve of the match in London. However, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has downplayed the incident, and urged everyone not to overreact.
Gautam Gambhir was seen in a visibly intense conversation with Fortis during India’s training session. The visuals quickly circulated on social media, prompting commentary from fans and experts.
The Fortis- Gautam Gambhir altercation on Oval ground
On Tuesday, Gautam Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak were inspecting the central square at The Oval when Surrey’s head groundsman, Fortis, stopped them from getting too close to the pitch. Concerned about heavy footfall on the surface, Fortis asked the Indian contingent to maintain a distance of at least 2.5 metres from the playing area, a request that did not sit well with Gautam Gambhir.
In a video that later went viral on social media, Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis while walking aggressively toward him. A subsequent report by ESPNcricinfo detailed the tense exchange, with Gambhir allegedly telling Fortis that he was “just a groundsman,” while the latter, in response, warned the former India opener that he would report him to the ICC match referee if he continued to swear.
Speaking to reporters later that evening in London, Kotak admitted it felt “awkward” when team members were asked to maintain distance from the pitch despite not wearing spikes.
“When some of us coaches went to see the wicket, a member of the groundstaff said stay away at least 2.5 metres, which was a little surprising,” Kotak said.
“Because it is the pitch, the match is starting day after, it will be a five-day Test, and we’re standing in our joggers, so we felt a little awkward.”
The batting coach, however, refrained from dwelling much on the spat between Gautam Gambhir and Fortis.
“[We were] just looking at the wicket, with rubber spikes, day after there’s a Test match there, there’s nothing wrong [with that]. Curators also need to understand the people they are talking to, they are highly skilled and intelligent. For example, if you go on the ground now where we practised, you won’t even see that any bowler in the outfield would have marked with his spikes. That all comes from the head coach. We try and see this ground also doesn’t get damaged.”
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has reacted to the spat between Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis, saying that it should not make headlines, as such incidents happen quite often on the cricket field.
“Gautam Gambhir’s ugly spat with Lee Fortis was utter nonsense”- exclaims Sourav Ganguly ahead of 5th Test
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said he couldn’t make sense of head coach Gautam Gambhir’s reaction after Lee Fortis, Surrey’s head groundsman, stopped the Indian team from closely inspecting The Oval pitch during Tuesday’s practice ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. Sourav Ganguly, speaking to reporters in Kolkata, said he was baffled by Gautam Gambhir’s outburst and urged everyone not to exaggerate the incident.
Speaking about the incident, Ganguly offered a balanced perspective, reminding everyone that such interactions are a common part of the game.
“I really don’t know why Gambhir was upset. All coaches and captains must have had discussions with the groundsman, sometimes happily, sometimes unhappily,” Ganguly said.
“It happened in my time, and it will happen in the future as well.”
The former BCCI president emphasized that the focus should remain on the game itself.
“Let’s not make too much out of it. The Test match is starting today, and I wish India plays well and wins the Test match,” he added.
As the high-stakes final Test kicks off at The Oval, India will be looking to end the series on a high. Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly’s calm and composed response serves as a reminder that emotions and debates are natural in cricket.
England drew first blood in the final Test of the series at The Oval, as fast bowler Gus Atkinson dismissed India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for just 2 runs with a fiery delivery that crashed into the middle stump, thanks to a well-judged DRS call from captain Ollie Pope.
Bowling from around the wicket, Atkinson delivered one that jagged back sharply off a good length, angling in from outside off. Jaiswal, defending tentatively, brought his bat down at an awkward angle and was struck on the back pad. England appealed instantly for LBW, but the on-field umpire was unmoved.
There was an audible woody sound, prompting initial doubts, but Atkinson remained convinced, joined by enthusiastic voices from behind the stumps. Pope, equally confident, went upstairs for a review. On replay, it was clear: the bat and ball hadn’t connected. Instead, the ball brushed the front pad before thudding into the back pad.
Third umpire, after a brief check, confirmed no UltraEdge was needed. Ball tracking followed and it was damning for Jaiswal. Three reds lit up the screen as the ball was shown to be hitting middle stump. The on-field decision was overturned, and Jaiswal was sent back for 2 off 9 balls, leaving India at 10/1 in the early stages of the Test.
Captain Ollie Pope celebrated the successful review with a fist pump directed at the England dressing room, where injured talisman Ben Stokes, sidelined due to a shoulder issue, applauded the call. It was a moment of sharp captaincy and precise bowling, giving England the ideal start in a high-stakes encounter. At the End of the rain marred day India reached 204 for 6 thanks due to the timely half century by Karun Nair. India need a win in any case in this match at Oval to draw level the series 2-2 vs England.
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