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Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir got involved in a heated spat with the pitch curator at the Kennington Oval in London during India's optional practice session at the ground on Tuesday. India arrived in London on Monday and reached The Oval for their first training session on Tuesday ahead of the fifth and final Test match against England at the venue.
Gambhir was reportedly not happy with the facilities provided by the ground staff of The Oval, and also didn't like the curator interfering in decisions such as which net pitch the Indian team uses. The India head coach got into a heated verbal altercation with the pitch curator and was left visibly furious.
“You don’t tell us what to do," Gambhir was seen shouting at the curator while repeatedly pointing fingers at him.
As per the Times of India, the situation got heated after the altercation between the duo, and they had to be separated by India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and other Indian support staff. The Oval ground staff also threatened to register a complaint against the Indian head coach over his behaviour after the incident.
However, Gambhir was reportedly unfazed by the threats as he told the pitch curator, “You can go and report to whoever you want, but you can’t tell us what to do."
After pulling off a spirited draw in the 4th Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday, India will look to level the five-match series 2-2 when they take on England in the fifth and final Test at the Kennington Oval in London. The 5th and final Test is scheduled to get underway on Thursday, July 31. The series currently stands at 2-1 in England's favour after the 4th Test ended in a draw.
Ahead of the fifth Test, India face serious selection headaches as a decision will have to be taken on whether pacer Jasprit Bumrah will feature in the must-win game, having already completed his pre-decided quota of 3 Tests in the series. India will also be without Rishabh Pant, who has been replaced by Dhruv Jurel in the squad.
