Video: Gautam Gambhir involved in fiery verbal spat with Oval pitch curator

India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a verbal spat with the pitch curator of The Oval in London. The incident happened during India's optional training session at the stadium, reported news agency PTI on Tuesday, July 29.

VIDEO | Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen having a verbal spat with chief curator Lee Fortis at The Oval Cricket Ground in London ahead of the last Test match of the series starting Thursday.

After having drawn the fourth Test at Old Trafford, India have a chance pic.twitter.com/hfjHOg9uPf— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025

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The India head coach was heard telling Lee Fortis: "You are just a groundsman here." However, the reason behind the confrontation is not clear.

As the fight continued, Gambhir told Fortis to 'go, report whatever you want to report, you are only a groundsman.' Gambhir threw up a couple of expletives as well.

The altercation happened in the nets, when the players were marking their run-up area. As Gambhir and Fortis engaged in a verbal battle, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak walked in to break the fight. He took the pitch curator away even as Gambhir argued with the curator from far away.

India had an optional practice session at The Oval on Tuesday. India arrived in London on Monday after playing out a heroic draw in Manchester. The team attended an event at the Indian High Commission, where Gambhir made a fiery speech about the team's performance in this Test series.

The India head coach remained defiant despite trailing the series 1-2 against England. Gambhir claimed that the team had shown excellent character in the series and had put up a performance that would have made every single cricket fan proud.

“Last five weeks have been really exciting for both countries with the kind of cricket that has been on display, which I’m sure has made every cricket lover proud,” Gambhir said.

India in High Spirits Before Oval Test

The Indian cricket team received a rousing welcome from community leaders, parliamentarians and sports fans at a diaspora reception hosted by the High Commission of India in London, where the squad is set for the fifth and final Test.

He went on to highlight the importance of the fifth and final Test, which India needed to win to level the series that now stands 2-1 in favour of England.

“Both the teams have thrown a lot of punches and have fought for every inch. We have got one more week to go, one final push to make and one more opportunity to make our country and people out here proud,” said Gambhir.

The final Test match of the series starts on Thursday, July 31. India will hope to win the final game and level the series.

- Ends

Published By: Kingshuk Kusari Published On: Jul 29, 2025

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