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Gautam Gambhir brutally ignores Oval curator after he approaches Team India a day after ugly spat; watch video
India's training session saw tension with Lee Fortis, who instructed the coaching staff to maintain distance from the pitch. Gambhir ignored the Surrey curator.
The tension between the Indian camp and the Surrey grounds staff refuses to die down. A day after chief curator Lee Fortis and India head coach Gautam Gambhir were involved in a heated argument, the former was seen approaching the Indian team again to instruct them to stand away from the pitch area. India captain Shubman Gill, head coach Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and chief selector Ajit Agarkar were having a discussion around the main pitch area when Fortis was seen approaching them.
He went towards Kotak and told him to move to a different position, which was not very far from where they were standing. The Indian think tank obliged without any fuss. Gambhir, although he agreed to change his position, gave a complete cold shoulder to Fortis. The Indian head coach ignored Fortis in a way as if he did not even exist.
The Surrey curator returned after passing on the instructions, while Gill, Gambhir, Kotak, and Agarkar continued with their discussion. Gill was even seen bending down to check the hardness of the pitch, which has a greener tinge than usual Oval pitches.
Watch: India head coach Gautam Gambhir ignores Surrey curator Lee Fortis
During India's training session on Tuesday, Fortis reportedly asked the Indian coaching staff to stay 2.5 metres away from the main pitch square, despite them wearing joggers or shoes with rubber spikes, prompting frustration from the Indian camp.
Gambhir was heard saying, "You don’t tell any of us what we need to do… you have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond.”
When Gill was asked about the tiff on the eve of the final Test, the skipper replied, "What happened yesterday was unnecessary. Coach has every right to look at the wicket. Don't understand why the curator won't allow that. As long you are wearing rubber spike or are bare feet (it should not be a problem) ....don't know why he said no. There was no such issue in the last four games," he added.
Incidentally, on the day, leading English players like batting mainstay Joe Root and strand-in skipper Ollie Pope were found standing on the match pitch doing shadow batting. Before that, Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum stood around the pitch area and had a lengthy discussion in the presence of the curator. No instructions were passed on to maintain any distance from the main square.
What's more astounding is the fact that England head coach McCullum and ECB director Rob Key were the first ones to inspect the pitch closely on Monday in the presence of Fortis, who had no objection to them standing on the pitch, albeit wearing shoes without spikes.
