Tension at The Oval: Staff Threaten to File Complaint Against Gautam Gambhir

Just two days before the final and deciding Test between India and England, things turned tense at The Oval. India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a heated argument with the pitch curator, Lee Fortis, on Tuesday afternoon.

As reported by Times of India, the discussion started politely but quickly became aggressive. Gambhir, unhappy with the pitch or the arrangements, seemed frustrated and was seen pointing fingers during the exchange. At one point, he reportedly said, “You don't tell us what to do.”

The situation got so intense that India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had to step in and calm things down. After the clash, Lee Fortis and the ground staff threatened to file an official complaint against Gambhir’s behaviour.

🚨 A COMPLAINT AGAINST GAUTAM GAMBHIR AT OVAL 🚨

- The Oval stadium's staff have threatened to lodge a complaint against the India Head coach Gautam Gambhir. (Sahil Malhotra/TOI). pic.twitter.com/JZRO1KQOBE

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 29, 2025

But Gambhir didn’t back down. He replied, “You can go and report to whoever you want, but you can't tell us what to do.” It's still unclear what exactly caused the argument. The Indian team’s security head was called in, and Kotak was later seen talking to the Surrey media manager to explain what happened. A press conference is expected later in the day, which might provide more details.

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England currently lead the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-1, and India are hoping to level the series after their brave draw in Manchester. After the fourth Test, Gambhir had praised his team. “They want to fight for the common man back home,” he said. “A lot of people had written us off, but this team showed great spirit.” “These players in the dressing room are fighters. They’ll keep giving everything for the country,” he added.