India and England will play the final Test of the series at the Kennington Oval on July 31. The fifth and final showdown will provide India an opportunity to level the series, on the other hand, England will eye a series win despite missing the services of their captain, Ben Stokes, and other key players such as Jofra Archer.

For the final Test, Oval is decked up with a green pitch promising ample aid for the pacers. The pitch is tinge green and it has made the internet come out and have an opinion or two just before the thrilling encounter. While some are criticising the fact that the deck is too green, others are excited about the prospects of seeing some very close contest between the bat and ball.

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The topic over the pitch became even more interesting when Gautam Gambhir was involved in an altercation with the pitch curator a day before the game. And netizens have drawn parallel between the two incidents comically.

A GREEN TOP ON MATCH DAY FOR THE OVAL TEST. 🥶 [📸: Rohan Chowdhury] pic.twitter.com/Hl4Ie3lWAN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 31, 2025

Here are some twitter reactions:

Bad news for India.

— Muhammad Zeeshan Awan (@surrakimuhammad) July 31, 2025

field looks hot and ready

— Whhyzz (@Whhyzz) July 31, 2025

Yo, that green top at The Oval looks spicy! 🥶 Perfect for a Test match vibe—bet the bowlers are licking their lips. Rohan Chowdhury’s snap is fire! 📸 What’s the buzz on X about this pitch? Want me to check?

— Harishwar Pratap singh (@Pratap4916) July 31, 2025

Green Pitch + Weather 🤯

— D.S. Bhati (@DSCricinfo789) July 31, 2025

Scary pitch

— the unknown memes (@theunknowmemes) July 31, 2025

The Oval curator Lee Fortis has addressed the heated incident that took place between him and India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday. The tense exchange was witnessed during India's practice session, where Gambhir was seen pointing fingers at Fortis and audibly stating, "you don't tell us what we need to do." The verbal spat drew attention from players and support staff alike, leaving onlookers surprised by the intensity of the moment.

When questioned about the incident, Fortis maintained a guarded stance. “You saw what he was like this morning. He's a bit touchy,” he remarked, refusing to dive into the specifics. He added, “There’s no side of the story. You’ll have to ask him that,” when pressed further. Despite multiple attempts by reporters to extract details, Fortis refrained from providing facts, merely concluding, “I’m okay. We’ve got nothing to hide here.”

The Indian team is currently in London for the fifth and final Test against England, starting Thursday at The Oval. England is leading the series 2-1, and the pressure is on India, who are looking to tie the series following a nail-biting draw at Old Trafford. The altercation was said to be caused by issues regarding the practice pitch, which got India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak involved to smooth things over.

Practice Pitch Dispute Sparks Heated Words

According to eyewitness accounts at the venue, the argument escalated quickly, with Gambhir visibly agitated. Fortis was seen walking away to speak with Kotak privately, but Gambhir continued to express his displeasure, saying, “You don’t tell us what we need to do. You can’t tell any one of us what we need to do. You are just a groundsman; stay like a groundsman.” After a long chat between Kotak and Fortis, both parties eventually separated, and Gambhir returned to supervise India’s training session.

Watch the video here.

Here's what Lee Fortis, English Chief Pitch Curator said on his altercation with Indian Head Coach Gautam Gambhir 👇👇@AnkanKar | @im_sandipan #OvalTest #GautamGambhir#ENGvIND #RaySportzCricket pic.twitter.com/DXFaOx0qI9

— Ray Sportz Cricket (@raysportz_cric) July 29, 2025

See Also: [WATCH] Gautam Gambhir angry on groundsmen ahead of ENG vs IND 5th Test at Kennington Oval

This incident strengthens the emotional trouble in a heavier-than-usual series. From Shubman Gill's outburst at Lord’s to the frustration of the England side during the draw at Manchester, it has been a tense five-Test series. With the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at stake, both teams will feel the pressure as they head into the final showdown.

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.