We Have Nothing To Cover,: Oval Curator Lee Fortis Opens Up On His Heated Alternate With Gautam Gambhir

The Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis has damaged his silence following a fiery on-field confrontation with India head coach Gautam Gambhir, insisting there’s “nothing to cover” forward of the high-stakes fifth and remaining Check between India and England.

“It’s fairly an enormous recreation developing. It isn’t my job to be pleased with him (Gambhir) or not. I’ve by no means met him earlier than as we speak. You noticed what he was like this morning. It is okay, I’m tremendous. We now have nothing to cover,” Fortis instructed reporters, addressing the altercation throughout India’s coaching session on Tuesday.

The verbal spat, which occurred as Indian bowlers have been marking their run-up areas within the nets, shortly escalated in full public view. Gambhir, identified for his passionate manner, was seen shouting at Fortis whereas pointing fingers on the floor employees. The precise purpose for the conflict stays unclear, however stories counsel the dispute might have been over pitch situations.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak needed to step in to defuse the state of affairs, escorting Fortis away whereas Gambhir continued to argue from a distance. The incident, captured on video, shortly went viral on social media, including to the strain surrounding the Check collection finale.

India, trailing 1-2 within the five-match collection, arrived in London only a day earlier after a gutsy attract Manchester. The crew was welcomed at a reception hosted by the Indian Excessive Fee, the place Gambhir delivered a passionate speech reflecting on the collection.

The heated change is the most recent flashpoint in a collection stuffed with emotional flare-ups — from Shubman Gill’s displeasure at England’s delayed re-entry on the Lord’s, to the standoff at Outdated Trafford the place Ben Stokes and his crew bristled after Indian batters refused an early handshake, prioritising their centuries as an alternative.

With the collection on the road and tempers already flaring, the ultimate Check at The Oval, beginning on Thursday, guarantees to be a charged affair each on and off the sphere.