Gautam Gambhir, India’s head coach, recently engaged in a verbal spat with KIA Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis. On the eve of India’s fifth and final Test match against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, there was a new episode involving the duo, but this time things were not as bad.
Fortis approached the Indian team management and captain Shubman Gill, who were having a discussion near the square. He whispered something to Gill, but Gambhir did not turn around to listen. Gambhir appeared to ignore Fortis. The former India batter strolled past the curator, hardly looking at him.
Take a look at the video below:
When Lee Fortis met Gautam Gambhir again…#ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/rw9JLgqD8N
— Sandipan Banerjee (@im_sandipan) July 30, 2025Previously, on Tuesday, July 29, Gautam Gambhir was embroiled in a heated argument with Fortis during India’s practice session. According to reports, Fortis had instructed the Indian squad to stay at least 2.5 meters away from the main square. Later, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who turned pacifier during the disagreement, defended the team’s behavior, pointing out that they wore joggers rather than spikes and took care not to damage the pitch.
India are trailing 1-2 in the five match series. The Men in Blue played lost the game in Headingley and Lord but won the game at Edgbaston. In the fourth Test, they showed commendable perseverance to redeem a draw even after they have batted over five periods. The series hangs in a knife-edge, and all is to be played in the last Test, which commences on Thursday, July 31.
England have made four lineup changes, with Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, and Brydon Carse missing out. Meanwhile, India will be missing Rishabh Pant. Jasprit Bumrah may not participate in this Test because the management wants to limit his workload.
