'Gautam Gambhir is a Touchy Guy': Oval Pitch Curator Says After Verbal Duel With India Coach Ahead of 5th Test

India vs England: The Indian team arrived at the Oval for their training session on Tuesday and things did not go off well as coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with the pitch curator Lee Fortis. The curator, in an interaction with ANI, went on to label Gambhir as a ‘touchy guy’. It is understood that Fortis has a habit of getting into arguments with opposition teams. It is believed that the Indian coach was not exactly happy with the facilities provided and hence he got into the argument. 

"It is quite a big game coming up. It is not my job to be happy with him (Gautam Gambhir) or not. I have never met him before today. You saw what he was like this morning. It's okay, I am fine. We have nothing to hide," Fortis said ANI. 

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‘Don’t tell us what we need to do’

According to the clip doing the rounds, Gambhir apparently said the curator, “Stop it, don’t tell us what we need to do. You’ve no right to tell any of them (Indian players) what to do. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond that. You can go and report to whoever you want, but you cant’s tell us what to do."

Not long back, Gambhir hailed Rishabh Pant for his effort during the Manchester Test. Pant walked into bat with a fractured toe and scored a fifty. 

“The foundation of this Test team will be based on what Rishabh has done for this team. I hate talking about individuals. I have never spoken about individuals in a team sport. You have not only inspired this dressing room, but the next generation. This is what you have done and the legacy you have created for yourself and for everyone in this dressing room. So very well done, and the country will always be proud of you,” Gambhir said.

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Oval Test

With the series being led by England, India need to win at Oval to square things up. And given the way they have played in this series, one certainly cannot put it beyond them.