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Days after the heated exchange between Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis and India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir sparked headlines, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has weighed in on the matter. Offering his perspective on the pitch controversy, Ganguly’s remarks have added a new dimension to the ongoing debate surrounding conditions for the high-stakes final Test.
Sourav Ganguly breaks silence on Oval pitch drama
Speaking at a press event in Kolkata, Ganguly downplayed the incident, expressing that he didn’t understand Gambhir’s frustration. He pointed out that conversations between team management and pitch curators—whether smooth or tense—have always been part of the game. According to Ganguly, such situations occurred during his own career and will likely continue. He urged against overreacting and hoped India bounces back to level the series.
“I do not know why Gambhir was upset. I am sure all captains and coaches have had discussions with the groundsmen, sometimes happily, sometimes unhappily. It happened in my time, it will happen in future too. Let us not just make too much out of it. Hope India plays well and levels the series,” Ganguly said.
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Heated altercation between Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator
A few of days before the fifth Test at The Oval, Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with Fortis. The confrontation erupted during India’s training session after Fortis instructed the team’s staff to keep a 2.5-metre distance from the match surface. An irate Gambhir confronted Fortis, wagging his finger and loudly insisting that he and his support staff had the right to conduct their preparations, repeatedly telling Fortis he was “just a groundsman.” India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stepped in to defuse the situation as tensions rose sharply between both parties.
Also READ: Sunil Gavaskar hits out at England’s green-top strategy for final Test
