Shubman Gill backs Gautam Gambhir on Oval pitch row; ‘coach has every right to look at the pitch from close quarters’

As India and England head into the deciding fifth and final Test at the Oval, off-field rumbles have continued to make as many headlines as the on-field exploits. Two days before the game, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a verbal altercation with Lee Fortis, head groundsman at the Oval.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak defended Gambhir, saying that Fortis’ tone was harsh and he was over-stepping his authority when he tried to refuse the Indian contingent from looking at the pitch. Kotak also hinted that Fortis was known to be a problematic character, saying “before coming to The Oval, most of the team knew that the curator is not the easiest person to get on with. So that gives lots of answers”.

On Wednesday (July 30), the eve of the fifth Test, India captain Shubman Gill came out in defence of Gambhir too, saying he didn’t understand why Fortis should have refused permission to the Indians to see the pitch from close quarters.

“It’s not something that has happened to us before,” Gill added, about being asked to keep a distance from the pitch. “We’ve been playing cricket for such a long time. As long as you’re wearing rubber spikes or you’re barefoot, you’re allowed to look at the wicket from close quarters. That’s the job of the coach and the captain. So I don’t know why the curator didn’t allow us to do that.”

Gill also emphasised that the coach of a team had every right to have a close look at the playing surface, which is the case across the world. “It’s not the first time we were having a look at the pitch. We have been here for almost two months, and like I said, a coach has every right to be able to go and have a look at the pitch from close quarters. I didn’t think that there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go and have a look at the pitch.”

Then in the closing moments of the fourth Test, there was another dust-up with Ben Stokes and the England team upset that India didn’t want to shake hands and walk off with a draw when the last hour of play began. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar were in the 80s then, having batted magnificently to take India to safety. India opted to bat on - which they were well within their right to do - till both got to their centuries, which England complained loudly about.

However, Gill said that relations between both teams were excellent.

“I think the relations have been fantastic. When you’re on the field, you’re trying to win a game at the end of the day and both teams have been very competitive,” Gill explained. “Sometimes when you are competitive, in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not (otherwise) do. But I think once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.

“These are three very separate moments, not correlated at all. I have already explained what happened at Lord’s. And even the incident that happened on the last day of the previous Test match, I’ve given my thoughts and opinions on that. And what happened yesterday, I thought it was just absolutely unnecessary.”