Cliff Notes – Shubman Gill on Gambhir-Fortis Argument: Coach Has Every Right to Look at the Pitch

Shubman Gill expressed that it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Surrey’s groundsman to restrict the Indian team’s access to inspect The Oval pitch closely during training.
Gill highlighted that no such restrictions had been imposed at previous venues in the series, asserting that coaches and players typically inspect pitches without limitations.
Despite recent tensions, Gill maintained that relations between the Indian and English teams remain strong, emphasising mutual respect post-match.

Nagraj Gollapudi

CloseNagraj Gollapudi is news editor at ESPNcricinfoJul 30, 2025, 04:41 PM

India captain Shubman Gill has said it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Lee Fortis, the Surrey head groundsman, to prevent the visitors from having a look at The Oval pitch from close quarters during their training session on Tuesday.

Tempers had flared when India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with Fortis, who was concerned by the heavy footfall as well as the presence of training gear on the main square and reportedly suggested to the Indian team that they should view the pitch standing 2.5 metres away from the strip. Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis and repeatedly telling him that he was “just a groundsman”.

“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill, who was not at the venue during the incident, said on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval. “It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket.”

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Gill said no curator at the four previous venues in the series – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford – had imposed restrictions on India’s ability to view the pitch or the square.

“As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot you can see the wicket from near,” he said. “We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch. All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about.”

With India trailing 2-1 in the series heading into the final Test, Gill was asked whether the pressure of a must-win game could have provoked Gambhir’s reaction.

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Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with head groundsman Lee Fortis as India prepared for the fifth Test at The Oval

“Not really,” Gill said. “If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that’s not something that has happened to us before. We’ve been doing cricket for such a long time and as long as you are wearing rubber spikes or are barefoot, you are allowed to look at the wicket from close quarters. That’s the job of the coach and the captain.”

Despite there being several heated moments between the teams since the third Test at Lord’s, Gill said relations between England and India remained strong. He said he had “no regrets” at the way he and his team had behaved during the incidents.

“The relation is fantastic, but when you are on the field, you are trying to win a game at the end of the day, and both the teams have been very competitive and sometimes when you are competitive in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not do,” he said. “But once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.”