Shubman Gill Breaks Silence On Gautam Gambhir's Spat With Oval Curator: "Don't Understand Why..."
India head coach Gautam Gambhir got involved in an ugly spat with Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis.
- Shubman Gill supported Gautam Gambhir’s right to inspect the pitch at The Oval
- Gambhir clashed with curator Lee Fortis over access to the main pitch square
- "Coach has every right to look at the wicket. Don't understand why curator won't allow that," said Gill
Captain Shubman Gill threw his weight behind Gautam Gambhir following his fiery exchange with The Oval's chief curator Lee Fortis, firmly asserting that the Indian coach is well within his rights to inspect the square. 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 rubber spiked shoes, 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 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.
India's prospects of signing off the UK tour with some serious bragging rights brightened by a few notches on the eve of fifth Test with England's talismanic skipper Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer rendered unavailable for the game starting Thursday. Stokes, the inspirational skipper who pushed the limits of his body while bowling in the last two Tests, was ruled out with a muscle tear on his right shoulder while comeback man Archer was rested after the workload of playing in back-to-back matches.
Pacer Brydon Carse and left-arm spinner Liam Dawson have also been rested.
There are players whose mere presence makes a difference and the England skipper, a world class all-rounder with 304 runs and 17 wickets in the series, is one such character.
What the English team will miss most at The Oval is his inspirational presence when the chips are down and showing the way how it is done.
Stand-in captain Ollie Pope will have his task cut out as the Indian team, even without Jasprit Bumrah, is expected to go for the kill.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir