Gautam Gambhir Engages in Fiery Spat with Oval Curator on Eve of 5th Test

India and England's fifth and final Test match is almost approaching. With a dramatic draw at Manchester, Shubman Gill's team has a chance to tie the five-match series. Sparks erupted on Tuesday afternoon after India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a furious argument with Lee Fortis, the main pitch curator, just two days before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy final.

It's unclear what caused Gambhir to become angry. However, in a video that surfaced online, Gambhir was heard stating, 'You don't tell us what to do,' and 'You’re just a groundsman here.' According to the comments, the Indian coach's annoyance most likely resulted from conversations about the series' flat pitches. Gautam Gambhir made a lot of accusations after the former opening batsman for India became quite agitated over something. Sitanshu Kotak, the batting coach, also got in, engaging Fortis in lively conversation.

Gautam Gambhir Gets Angry:

Gautam Gambhir had a heated altercation with oval curator .

Gambhir gave it back to Oval’s curator Lee Fortis when he tried to interfere in India’s practise sessions and made an attempt to dictate terms to Indian cricketers.

We will be having some fire cracker test with… pic.twitter.com/B0uX44Wu9C

— Saachi (@anj_shas) July 29, 2025

Interestingly, there has been a lot of discussion about the Duke's ball's condition throughout the series, as it has become soft and out of shape far earlier than usual. The captains of both teams have come up and discussed it in great detail. Discussions about the same have been common among analysts and other former players.

The excessively batting-friendly decks that have been handed out thus far have also come under attack. The four games that have ended have seen a lot of runs scored as bowlers have struggled to function. In certain cases, bowlers have been unable to make a breakthrough for extended periods of time.

It was Ben Stokes' and England's turn to lose their collective composure in the Manchester Test. The only probable outcome was a draw; therefore, the hosts offered Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja to end the match early.

Since they were both getting close to their tons, Jadeja and Sundar declined the call. Stokes and England lost their temper as a result, and they said some hurtful things on the field. As Jadeja and Sundar reached their respective hundreds, Harry Brook bowled a few sloppy deliveries. There was undoubtedly considerable animosity between the two sides, even though the game finished in a draw.

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