A 2023 photo of England head coach Brendon McCullum hanging out with The Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis is going popular on social media following Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir’s dispute with Fortis.
Brendon McCullum can be seen having a conversation with the senior groundsman while standing on The Oval surface in this photo from the Ashes 2023. Notably, the fifth Test of the five-match series between England and India will be contested at The Oval. The game starts on Thursday, July 31.
A user on X (previously Twitter) shared the following photo of Brendon McCullum and Lee Fortis:
Brendon McCullum takes his first inspection at the pitch 48hrs out with The Oval’s head groundsman Lee Fortis. Funnily enough, looks like every other pitch here in recent seasons. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/bGWALr1T4m
— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) July 25, 2023
A video of Gautam Gambhir and Lee Fortis arguing angrily earlier went viral on social media. During India’s training session on Monday, July 29, Gambhir had a verbal altercation with the pitch curator. The Hindustan Times stated that Gautam Gambhir was dissatisfied with the amenities offered to them two days before the fifth Test.
India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, had to intervene and separate the two. Lee Fortis also threatened to report Gambhir for his actions. According to another India Today source, the pitch curator complained to the Indian team’s throw-downs on the square area.
What is Gautam Gambhir’s team’s record in Tests at The Oval?
India has played 15 Tests at The Oval thus far. They have won only two of these, with six defeats and seven ties. They played their first Test at the site in 1936.
The fact that India defeated England in the prior Test (2021) at The Oval by 157 runs will encourage Gautam Gambhir to lead his young squad. In 2023, they lost the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) with Australia being their last Test against them in this stadium.
The visitors are now 1-2 down. A win here would help them tie the series. Despite England’s lead, Shubman Gill and his team had momentum after securing a historic draw in the fourth Test.
India has lost its last two Test series against New Zealand and Australia, both under Gambhir. The head coach will want to avoid losing another series.
