"Indian Team is a Different Kettle of Fish": Ashwin Warns England After Oval Curator Row

India’s final preparations for the decisive fifth Test took a dramatic turn when Gautam Gambhir and the Oval ground’s Chief Curator, Lee Fortis, were seen having a heated argument on Tuesday. Both sides have now shared their version of what happened.

Former Indian cricketer R Ashwin questioned the curator’s actions and recalled past incidents during India’s tours when such fiery exchanges boosted the team’s morale and brought out their best performance.

The incident took place during India’s training session on Tuesday, which was attended by ten players. Skipper Shubman Gill was notably absent. Fortis, who has earned praise for preparing quality multi-day pitches but is also known in county circles as a tough personality, stood firm and responded curtly: “I will have to report this.”

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'Different Kettle of Fish': Ashwin Warns England

Speaking on his YouTube channel, R Ashwin said this is not how England should play against the Indian team. He explained that the Indian team has the character to fight back when facing adversity and becomes a completely different side when provoked.

"After all that, when I saw the video of that fight today, I thought, 'Boss, what are you guys doing?' This is not how you want to play against this Indian team. I have always seen that when adversity strikes the Indian team, someone will rise up. When things are not going right, or when we are pushed against the wall, the Indian team is a different kettle of fish; it becomes a different beast," Ashwin said.

Earlier, Gautam Gambhir’s angry exchange with Oval curator Lee Fortis went viral after he was heard saying, "You don’t tell us what we need to do." Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later explained in the press conference, "When we went to see the pitch, we were asked to keep a 2.5-metre distance. This was surprising as the Test was only a few days away, and we were wearing joggers. Curators can be possessive about the ground, but they need to understand they are speaking to highly skilled and experienced people."

Ashwin added, "I think that particular incident is a serious advantage for India going into this Test. It may not matter if England play good cricket, but I feel this was not the right way to provoke India."

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'Adversity Unites the Team'

Ashwin also pointed out past incidents in India’s cricket history where the team bounced back strongly. He mentioned the Monkeygate scandal, the famous win at the Gabba, and the Lord’s Test where Virat Kohli told England, "60 overs of hell."

"When such an incident happens, the individually brilliant players will come together as a team. I have seen that many times. Look at Monkeygate; we played brilliantly in the next Test. Look at Gabba and Lord’s. These moments galvanize the team," Ashwin said.

The final Test at the Oval will begin on July 31.