Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis had a heated conversation on Tuesday, July 29, just days before India’s fifth and final Test against England. In a video that went viral on social media, Gambhir was seen mocking Fortis and pointing a finger at him during the visitors’ practice session.
Fortis was dissatisfied with something in the video and was seen defending his case. Before things could get ugly, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stepped in and attempted to resolve the quarrel, even touching the curator on the shoulder in a kind manner. The event occurred during a highly competitive Test series, which is currently 2-1 in England’s favor.
What was the Gautam Gambhir-Lee Fortis heated exchange all about?
According to a report in the news agency PTI, Fortis and Gambhir seemed to be fighting about the practice pitches’ conditions. The latter was supposedly unhappy with a few players and coaches straying too close to the pitch. According to ESPNcricinfo, Fortis even advised Gambhir not to’swear’ at him.
Fortis reportedly informed Gambhir, “I will have to report this,” to which the Indian coach replied, “You go ahead and report whatever you want to report.” At this point, batting coach Kotak intervened and pulled Fortis aside. He even assured The Oval pitch curator that ‘we won’t destroy anything’. Gambhir was visibly unhappy with Fortis’ interference and reportedly informed him (via ESPNcricinfo):
“You stop it. You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman, you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman.”
VIDEO | Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen having verbal spat with chief curator Lee Fortis at The Oval Cricket Ground in London ahead of the last Test match of the series starting Thursday.
After having drawn the fourth Test at Old Trafford, India have a chance… pic.twitter.com/hfjHOg9uPf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025Fortis and Gambhir soon terminated their heated exchange, with the latter returning his focus to India’s net session.
“It is not my job to be happy with him” – Lee Fortis on argument with Gambhir
Speaking to media after his angry argument with the Indian head coach went viral, the Oval pitch curator took a go at Gambhir, saying (via IANS):
“It is quite a big game coming up. It is not my job to be happy with him (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.”
🗣️The Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis spoke to the Indian media after he clashed with the tourists' head coach Gautam Gambhir today. pic.twitter.com/gWLXSP070g
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 29, 2025According to The Indian Express, Fortis has been in charge of The Oval’s surface since 2012, when he took over from Bill Gordon. He had previously worked as the assistant head groundsman at The Oval. Surrey’s Ground Staff, lead by Fortis, received the title for best multi-day pitches at the 2024 Grounds Manager of the Year Awards for the third year in a row.
“It is not an antique” – Sitanshu Kotak backs Gambhir over exchange with Fortis
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak defended Gambhir’s behavior during his heated discussion with Fortis. The former Saurashtra batsman dismissed Fortis’ worries, saying he was astonished when the curator requested them to maintain a specific distance from the pitch. He said:
“When some of us coaches went to see the wicket, a member of the groundstaff said stay away at least 2.5 metres, which was a little surprising. Because it is the pitch, the match is starting day after, it will be a five-day Test, and we’re standing in our joggers, so we felt a little awkward.”
Sitanshu Kotak
Tempers flare at The Oval as Gautam Gambhir had some words to say to the ground staff! 🔥
Here's what really happened! 👀#ENGvIND 👉 5th TEST | Starts THU, 31st July, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/CLjzjMWST5
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 29, 2025Questioning Fortis’ tone, he also criticized the pitch curator, claiming that the surface is not a 200-year-old ancient object that will break if handled.
“When you’re working with very intelligent and highly-skilled people, if you sound a bit arrogant or if you come across like… you can be protective, but at the end of the day it is a cricket pitch. It is not an antique where you can’t touch, because otherwise if it is 200 years old it can be broken.”
Sitanshu Kotak
The same groundsman, Lee Fortis, who told Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team to stay 2.5 meters away from the pitch, was seen back in 2023 having a lengthy conversation with McCullum right on top of the playing surface- just 48 hours before the Test match.#ENGvsIND #OvalTest pic.twitter.com/b1HmvSoHYs
— Meru (@MeruBhaiya) July 29, 2025Meanwhile, amid the uproar, a photo from the 2023 Ashes has gone viral on social media. The snapshot shows England head coach Brendon McCullum engaging with Fortis while standing on The Oval ground.
