India head coach Gautam Gambhir and KIA Oval curator Lee Fortis were once again at the center of attention on the eve of the fifth and final Test between India and England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. However, this time, the situation appeared far less hostile than their earlier clash.
As the Indian team, along with captain Shubman Gill, gathered near the pitch area, Fortis approached them and exchanged a few words with Gill. Notably, Gambhir did not acknowledge Fortis, choosing instead to walk away without even turning toward him — a gesture perceived by many as a subtle snub.
Recap of the Earlier Altercation
Just days prior, on July 29, Gambhir and Fortis engaged in a heated exchange during India’s training session. Fortis reportedly instructed the Indian contingent to maintain a distance of at least 2.5 meters from the pitch. The directive did not sit well with the Indian coach, who strongly objected to being denied close inspection rights of the wicket.
India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, who intervened during the incident, later defended the team’s conduct:
“𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒋𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉,” 𝑲𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒌 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅.
Final Test Set for High Drama
With the series poised at 1-2 in England’s favor, the final Test, starting Thursday, July 31, is expected to be a thrilling decider. India bounced back from losses at Headingley and Lord’s with a win at Edgbaston and managed a gritty draw in the fourth Test after over five sessions of solid batting.
However, the Indian team faces key absences going into the final clash. Rishabh Pant has been ruled out due to injury, and Jasprit Bumrah may be rested to manage his workload. England, on the other hand, will miss the services of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, and Brydon Carse.
Despite the behind-the-scenes drama, all focus now shifts to the field where the final chapter of this captivating series will unfold.
“𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚,” 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝑩𝑪𝑪𝑰 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒕.
Also Read: Shubman Gill Reacts to Gambhir vs Oval Curator Incident in ENG vs IND 2025
