Yashasvi Jaiswal started the five-match series between England and India with a fine knock in the opening game at Leeds in Headingley. But he faced a few poor and low scores in the middle of the series, but a late push saw him ending the trip on a high note, thanks to the fine 118-run knock in the second innings at the Kennington Oval. 

India needed someone to play an aggressive knock on a green surface, which was helping the bowlers a lot. He celebrated his half-century at a strike rate of over 100 while his 118-run knock was full of 14 boundaries and a couple of centuries. The southpaw revealed that it was emotional as his parent were present at the venue.

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‘I am really happy and enjoyed the innings. It was the last push for the tour. So, I was trying my best. I was just thinking that I just need to keep playing the session, keep playing one ball at a time, and yeah, I enjoyed that.’ Jaiswal revealed in a video posted by the BCCI before the start of the fourth day.

Watch: Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates incredible century on Day 3 of ENG vs IND 5th Test  

‘The celebration was there for my mom and dad. Family was here, and it was quite emotional for me that they were here. The first time, they were watching me play for India. So, I am very fortunate and blessed that I could do that in front of my parents.’ He addressed.

A round of applause 👏 for Yashasvi Jaiswal's second 💯 of the series!#TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @ybj_19 pic.twitter.com/TngGgwT5E9

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 3, 2025

The batting coach of the side, Shitanshu Kotak, was happy to see the left-handed opener showing his defensive skills in the knock. ‘I think Jaiswal has been outstanding. Even in Australia, we had seen that he was batting. And the way he batted here was outstanding. Not every time you will see him defending too much, but I think he made the plan and executed it well.’

Prasidh Krishna was equally happy, stating ‘Every run was important, and that was the talk in the dressing room. The way Jaisu batted like a lion, giving all the facial expressions.’ With no Chris Woakes due to injury, India now need eight more wickets with 324 runs in the bank to draw the series at 2-2.

The series is poised at a 2-1 margin after India drew the fourth Test of the five-match series against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, thanks to their dominating batting performance to show patience and determination for five sessions. Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, and Washington Sundar celebrated their respective centuries.

Gautam Gambhir is now the senior head coach to the young captain, while he was the junior head coach to the senior captain a few months ago. So, the responsibility is huge on his shoulders to draw the series, having lost the last two at home and away. India’s batting coach, Shitanshu Kotak, revealed whether that has put pressure on the veteran.

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‘No, it’s. I think it’s been a very competitive series. Both teams have played well. We know that the first Test and the Lord’s Test could have gone either way. So, all the Test matches went to the fifth day. So it’s been a brilliant Test series so far. But Gautam Gambhir is someone I don’t think would be under pressure. I never saw him under pressure in our playing days to now.’ Kotak expressed in the press conference.

Watch: Shitanshu Kotak comments on Gautam Gambhir’s under-pressure situation before Eng vs Ind 5th Test

Kotak addressed that throughout the series, there were several instances of the visiting side being ahead in the game but ending on the wrong side of the result. He gave examples of Lord’s and Leeds, where they could have earned the victory if they had handled the pressure better.

Is Gambhir under pressure ahead of the 5th Test❓

India's batting coach answers, here 👇#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/tBIR7WNLDE

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 30, 2025

‘So, definitely, not under pressure. Yeah, we wish in the Lord’s Test we could have won and go 2-1 up. We all think, but that’s not pressure. That’s just going back and thinking about what we could have done better or do something different. That’s normal. Nothing about pressure or anything like that.’ Kotak shed light.

The fifth Test of the series will take place at the Kennington Oval in South London from July 31. The biggest blow for the visitors will be that their premier pacer, Jasprit Bumrah, has reportedly been ruled out of the contest, keeping an eye on his fitness and injuries.

Preparations for the series-deciding fifth Test between India and England took an unexpected twist when India head coach Gautam Gambhir clashed with Oval chief curator Lee Fortis during a training session. The disagreement unfolded just two days before the crucial match and has triggered a broader conversation about inconsistencies in ground protocols. Fortis reportedly instructed India’s support staff to stay at least 2.5 meters away from the pitch during their inspection, a directive that didn’t sit well with Gambhir, who is known for his no-nonsense and direct approach.

Gambhir questioned the logic behind the restriction, especially after learning that England’s assistant coach Brendon McCullum had earlier walked on the pitch without any objections. This inconsistency in treatment raised eyebrows within the Indian camp and sparked discussions on fair access to match preparations. The incident highlighted concerns about potential double standards in ground rules and has drawn attention just ahead of a vital Test match.

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"You don't tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman-nothing beyond." Fortis, who has overseen pitches at The Oval for several years and has been awarded by the ECB for his work, responded, "I will have to report this," Gambhir was heard saying as per eyewitnesses.

That was surprising, to say the least: Kotak

The heated exchange between Gautam Gambhir and curator Lee Fortis took place in full view of ten Indian players who were on the field, though skipper Shubman Gill was not among them. The team was going through their usual pre-match preparations, and most of the support staff were in joggers instead of spiked shoes—a common practice that generally doesn’t raise concerns during training sessions. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later stepped in to calm things down and prevent the situation from escalating further. During a press briefing, Kotak offered clarity on the incident, aiming to put the matter to rest.

"When we went to have a look at the wicket, someone came up and told us to stand 2.5 metres away. That was surprising, to say the least. We weren't wearing spikes. There are still two days to go before the match. I've never seen anything like it in my life. It is fair for a curator to be protective of the pitch, "not to this extent." He also revealed that some Indian players had privately warned him that Fortis "isn't the easiest person to work with," Kotak said.

Even before the beginning of the last Test of the thrilling ongoing five-match Test series, the controversy erupted after the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and the chief curator of The Oval had a heated argument. Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak opened up about that incident. 

During a recent practice session, Gautam Gambhir and Lee Fortis, the chief curator of The Oval, had a heated argument. According to the Indian batting coach Kotak, the head coach wanted to look at the pitch from a closer angle while wearing joggers, but the curator didn't like that.

[WATCH] ENG vs IND 5th Test: Oval's Lee Fortis open up his side over controversy with Gautam Gambhir

We did nothing wrong: Indian batting coach

In the press conference, the Indian batting coach claimed, “When we were having a look at the wicket, they sent a man to tell us to stay 2.5 metres away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers.”

Understanding the curators' view, Kotak felt that the Indian team didn't do anything wrong in that situation to make it a heated moment. He added, “We know curators are possessive about the square. What he said about the head coach is his opinion and I don’t want to comment. But we did nothing wrong."

The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant

Kotak felt that the chief curator was arrogant, for which the man is popular in world cricket. The Indian batting coach said, “You can be protective about the square, but not arrogant. It’s not an antique that you can’t touch. He said they were trying to grow grass, but we were in joggers so we didn’t see the problem. The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not the easiest person to deal with.”

Indian batting coach talking about the heated conversation between Gambhir and curator. pic.twitter.com/5hMd6LYTOV

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 29, 2025

The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, the five-match Test series between the hosts England and the visitors India, currently stands at 2-1 with the last Test yet to be played. The Oval in London will host the last Test, starting on August 31. It will be the must-win game for India only to draw the away series, while a draw will be enough for England to win this home Test series.  

There was so much focus on the first press conference of the Indian team during their optional practice session ahead of the fifth Test of the five-match series at the Kennington Oval in South London. The series is already spiced up after the Lord’s altercation and the Manchester handshake saga. Now, it has got a new chapter of altercation between the coach and the curator.  

India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and later the batting coach of the side, Shitanshu Kotak, were engaged in a heated altercation with the Surrey curator, Lee Fortis, as the former was heard to be telling Fortis not to tell him what to do. It was not known what happened until Kotak met the media.

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‘When we were having a conversation near the pitch. They had sent a man to send a message for us to stay 2.5 m away from the pitch. We were wearing joggers. We know curators are possessive about the square. What he said about the head coach is his opinion, and I don’t want to comment. We did nothing wrong; we were wearing rubber spikes.’ Kotak expressed in the press conference.

Shitanshu Kotak comments on Gautam Gambhir's curator controversy ahead of ENG vs IND 5th Test

Most of the players from the last game’s playing eleven decided to take an extra off-day, as Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Anshul Kamboj turned up for the optional session. Sai Sudharsan was the first to hit the nets as he kept batting practice.

People are highly skilled and intelligent. None of the bowlers was even wearing spikes. You can be protective but not arrogant. It is not an antique that you can’t touch. He said we are trying to grow the grass. At the end of the day, it’s a cricket pitch. We will not be lodging any complaints.’ Kotak shed light.

Due to India’s incredible performance with the bat, they were able to draw the game in Manchester and will now have a chance to walk off the trip with a 2-2 margin, something which looked like a daydream after losing the opening Headingley Test.

Former Saurashtra captain and batter Sitanshu Kotak will join Team India's setup as batting coach. Kotak will start his stint with the five-match T20I Series against England which starts from January 22.

Kotak, who retired in 2013 after playing first-class cricket for over 20 years, has been working as a batting coach at the National Cricket Academy since 2019. Kotak has served as the head coach of India A on several tours. He has served as an assistant coach to VVS Laxman when VVS Laxman himself served as the head coach for India's bilateral series in last few years.

Kotak will be the 5th assistant coach in the coaching staff led by Gautam Gambhir who took charge in August. Gautam Gambhir brought three assistant coaches that time former South African Pacer Morne Morkel (bowling coach), along with former India allrounder Abhishek Nayar and former Netherlands captain Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches. T Dilip, who was the fielding coach during Rahul Dravid's tenure, was retained.

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It was decided after BCCI's review meeting which was conducted in Mumbai last week to assess India's disastrous run of series defeats starting with the white-ball loss in Sri Lanka, followed by a whitewash against New Zealand at home and then a 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Poor performance from the Indian batters was the main reason behind these defeats and also the Test side missing out on a World Test Championship Final berth. Batting was reportedly a key topic in the review meeting, which included Gambhir, selection committee head Ajit Agarkar, and several top BCCI officials, including the newly appointed board secretary, Devajit Saikia.

Sitanshu Kotak, one of India's most respected cricket coaches, is all set to accompany the India A team as head coach on their upcoming tour to Australia. The India A team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, will play two matches against Australia's A team. The first game is scheduled for October 31 at GBRA in Mackay, followed by the second game at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 7. Following the two matches, the India A side will play a practice match against the Indian senior team at WACA, Perth.

Kotak to guide India A in Australia

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Gaikwad to lead, Easwaran named vice-captain

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the team, with Abhimanyu Easwaran serving as vice-captain. Easwaran has been in tremendous form on the domestic circuit, making him a strong contender for a reserve opening spot in India's main Test squad. The team will also include young talents like Sai Sudharsan, who recently scored a double century in the Ranji Trophy, and other key players like Devdutt Padikkal and Baba Indrajith in the middle order.

The bowling department features Khaleel Ahmed and Yash Dayal, both of whom are competing for a left-arm seamer position in India's main squad. With key Test series ahead, this tour is crucial for India A players, offering them a chance to prove their mettle and potentially earn spots in the senior team.