Shubman Gill shares thoughts on Gambhir-Curator heated exchange

Indian captain Shubman Gill has broken his silence on the recent pitch controversy involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis. 

The incident occurred on Tuesday when Fortis asked the Indian support staff to stay at least 2.5 meters away from the main pitch as they inspected the surface ahead of the fifth and final Test against England.

The exchange between Gambhir and Fortis quickly escalated and was caught on camera, sparking a wave of reactions on social media. 

Later, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak offered clarification, stating that Fortis appeared highly protective of the pitch. However, Kotak maintained that the Indian team was not violating any protocols and emphasised their experience in such matters.

A day later, Gill addressed the issue during a pre-match press conference, saying the team had not encountered similar restrictions at any of the previous venues in the series.

"I don’t know exactly what happened yesterday or why the curator reacted the way he did," Gill said. "We’ve played four Tests in this series, and no one stopped us from inspecting the pitch. Everyone in the team—be it the captain or the coaches—has seen pitches numerous times in the past. I honestly don’t understand what the fuss was all about."

He further added, "If a curator asks us not to look at the wicket or to look at it from three metres behind, that’s not something we have experienced before. We’ve been playing cricket for a long time, and as long as you are in rubber spikes or barefoot, you are 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 let us or allow us to do that."

The 25-year-old also provided an update on the availability of pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was initially scheduled to play three out of the five matches in the series. 

With Bumrah already featuring in three Tests, questions remain about his participation in the final match.

“We’ll make a decision on Bumrah tomorrow. The pitch looks very green, so let’s see,” Gill said.

With the series standing at 2-1 in England’s favour, the fifth and final Test will begin at The Oval on Thursday.