India head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen exchanging angry words with the head groundsman at The Oval Lee Fortis during India’s optional training session on Tuesday, two days before India’s fifth Test against England.
The Indian contingent was at the pitch, which infuriated Fortis, who reportedly informed them that they were attempting to grow grass on the square next to the one that would host the fifth Test.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that the Oval officials tried to tell the Indian team management to stand two and a half meters away when they went to inspect the pitch. As a result, Fortis and Gambhir got into a heated argument, and the curator was seen threatening to complain to the match referee.
Gambhir was heard yelling, “You don’t tell us what we need to do.”
Kotak said the outburst was triggered by Fortis’ tone.
“We were standing on the pitch and looking at it, and one of the ground staff came and told us to stand 2.5 metres away from it,” Kotak said. “In my cricketing career, I’ve never seen anybody saying that. He was literally telling the head coach to go outside the rope (that cordons off the pitch). I don’t know how you can see it (from there).
“If somebody is rubbing his shoes or trying to put something in the pitch or wearing spikes – then it’s fine. But it was very strange the way he said, ‘You go and stand 2.5 metres away from here’. I think that is what started it.”
Everyone was wearing joggers, which are shoes with rubber soles, Kotak noted, and he added Fortis needed to realize that they were being really careful not to damage any part of the square.
“We know curators are a little over-protective, or possessive about the square and the ground. But I think just looking at the pitch, wearing rubber spikes – day after there is a Test match on it – there is nothing wrong,” Kotak said. “Curators also need to understand that the people they are talking to are highly skilled and intelligent people. So for example, if you go on the ground now where we practised, you will see that no bowler has even marked the outfield with his spikes. And that call comes from the head coach, that we’ll try to see that this ground also should not get damaged.”
“Day after tomorrow, a batsman will be sliding to survive a run-out, a bowler will be sliding to stop the ball,” Kotak pointed out. “I mean, I don’t know how much grass will grow in one day. And what will happen in the next five days? You want your ground and your square to be good, but at the end of the day, it is a cricket pitch… It is not an antique where you can’t touch because it is 200 years old and it can be broken!”
Additionally, Kotak mentioned that visiting teams had a history of not getting along with Fortis.
“If you want me to be very honest, 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,” he said.
