Gautam Gambhir got into a verbal confrontation with The Oval curator Lee Fortis before the fifth Test. Lee Fortis, the pitch curator at The Oval, has now spoken out about the altercation with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir. The recently concluded five-match Test series between England and India was marked by several tense moments.
Ahead of the fifth Test, during training sessions at The Oval, Gambhir had a heated exchange with Fortis. The curator requested that Gambhir and India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak keep a distance of 2.5 meters from the pitch.
Gambhir, however, was displeased by the request and responded with some sharp words. The incident was caught on video, which quickly went viral on social media and became a major talking point before the match.
Gautam Gambhir: “I Was Never the Villain,” Says The Oval Curator Lee Fortis
Speaking to PTI, Lee Fortis expressed that he was unfairly portrayed as the villain in the recent events. “I was never the villain; I was only made to appear as one. I hope everyone enjoyed the spectacle. The atmosphere felt like an IPL match, and it was an incredible game,” Fortis remarked.
On the field, India staged a remarkable comeback in the final Test at The Oval, securing a thrilling six-run victory. Setting a challenging target of 374 runs for England, India managed to bowl them out for 367, clinching the match by the narrowest of margins.
The series had been fiercely contested: England took the opener at Headingley by five wickets, India responded with a massive 336-run win at Edgbaston, and England edged the third Test at Lord’s by 22 runs. The fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in a draw.
India’s pace duo, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, spearheaded the bowling attack with impressive performances—taking nine and eight wickets respectively across both innings. Siraj earned the Player of the Match award. With the final Test victory, India sealed the five-match series with a 2-2 draw.
