ENG vs IND 2025: Gautam Gambhir Ignores Oval Curator in Viral Video After Fiery Spat Shakes Internet

There is still a lot of friction between the Surrey grounds crew and the Indian camp. Chief curator Lee Fortis was spotted addressing the Indian squad once more to tell them to leave the pitch area, a day after he and India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a furious confrontation. Fortis was spotted approaching the main pitch area where India captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were chatting.

Fortis approached the Indian team management and captain Shubman Gill while they were chatting close to the square. Even though Gambhir didn't look back to listen, he murmured something to Gill. Gambhir nearly looked as though he ignored Fortis. Without glancing at the curator, the former Indian batter passed by. After relaying the instructions, the Surrey curator came back, and Gill, Gambhir, Kotak, and Agarkar carried on with their conversation. The pitch has a greener tint than typical oval pitches, and Gill was even observed stooping to inspect its hardness.

Gautam Gambhir in Angry Mode:

When Lee Fortis met Gautam Gambhir again…#ENGvsINDpic.twitter.com/rw9JLgqD8N

— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) July 30, 2025

Earlier, during India's training session on Tuesday, July 29, Gambhir and Fortis got into a furious argument. According to reports, Fortis requested that the Indian squad stay at least 2.5 meters away from the main square. Sitanshu Kotak, India's batting coach, later defended the team's behaviour, pointing out that they wore joggers rather than spikes and were careful not to damage the pitch. Kotak had become a pacifier throughout the fight.

Leading English players, including stranded captain Ollie Pope and batting staple Joe Root, were observed shadow batting on the match field that day. Prior to that, Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum stood in front of the curator and talked for a long time about the pitch area.

There were no directives to keep a certain distance from the main square. Even more astonishing is the fact that Rob Key, the director of the ECB, and England head coach McCullum were the first to thoroughly examine the field on Monday in front of Fortis, who had no problem with them standing on it even though they were not wearing spike-free shoes.

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