India head coach Gautam Gambhir was witnessed having a heated altercation with Oval chief curator Lee Fortis on Tuesday while the team was training for the fifth and last Test against England.
The high-tension game will start Thursday at The Oval, as Team India has arrived from Manchester having tied the series after a thrilling revival.
Videos doing the rounds of social media indicate that Gambhir was clearly upset in a heated argument with Fortis. The exchange of words was over the conditions and utilization of practice pitches, although the reason for the dispute was not verified.
"I'll have to report this," Fortis was heard saying to Gambhir. To that, the Indian coach retorted, "You go and report whatever you want to report." Not long after that, Gambhir went on to say, "You can't tell us what to do. You are just one of the groundsmen, nothing beyond." His statements were followed by biting gestures toward the groundstaff.
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak intervened to defuse the situation, taking Fortis aside and reassuring him, "We won't damage anything." Bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate were also noticed closely monitoring the exchange.
Though the cause of the face-off is still obscure, officials close to the team suspect that the spat occurred due to variations in expectations regarding the usage of the pitch for net sessions. Gambhir, who is said to have no-nonsense attitude, obviously objected to being told by the ground's curator.
Both men parted ways following the sparring. Gambhir went back to stand in charge of the nets, resuming his coaching role.
Later, when Fortis left the field, he made a short statement, stating, "It's a big game, and he (Gambhir) is a bit touchy."
While this, Sai Sudharsan, who had played a half-century and a duck in the fourth Test, was the first to arrive for practice. He was followed by Kuldeep Yadav, who worked on an extended bowling session. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was also spotted practicing under the guidance of Morne Morkel.
The last Test at The Oval is likely to be a series decider, and the urgency in the Indian camp seems to mirror the high stakes of the upcoming encounter.
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