India’s preparations for the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval included a violent altercation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and Surrey’s senior groundsman, Lee Fortis, during a training session. The heated spat, which was captured on camera, has gone viral, gaining substantial attention just days before the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
With England leading the five-match series 2-1, India arrived in London after a tense tie in Manchester.
On Tuesday, as the players and support personnel gathered for an optional training session at The Oval, the disagreement heated up when groundstaff reportedly complained to the Indian team’s proximity to the match surface.
Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, addressed the situation in a press conference, stating that the argument began when a member of the groundstaff urged the Indian contingent to stand 2.5 metres from the wicket.
“To be honest, one of the ground officials approached us and told us that we needed to stand 2.5 meters away from the wicket and ‘go outside the rope and view the wicket’. I’ve never seen something like that. There is no need to complain about this. Before this game, we had the impression that the curator was not the easiest person to work with. Possessiveness is good, but not overly so. “We were wearing joggers, not spikes, so there was no danger,” Kotak subsequently told the media.
You can go ahead and report whatever you want: Gautam Gambhir
According to, Fortis was concerned about the Indian team’s use of the main area and players straying too close to the pitches, which he wished to save for the rest of the English summer. However, the Indian camp considered the demands strange, particularly since the players were not wearing spikes. Kotak attempted to calm the tension. However, Gambhir instantly spoke with the curator.
“You can report whatever you want. We will not harm anything. You cannot tell us what to do. “You’re just one of the groundsmen, nothing more,” Gautam Gambhir was heard saying.
Kotak indicated that the Indian team would not file a formal complaint. He also mentioned that the team took care to avoid harming the surface.
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