'The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant': India batting coach breaks silence on Gautam Gambhir's spat with The Oval's curator

India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has opened up about the recent incident involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval’s chief curator, Lee Fortis, during a practice session ahead of the fifth Test against England in London.

Speaking to reporters, Kotak explained the issue and said that it started when the Indian team was inspecting the pitch. “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,” Kotak said.

Kotak made it clear that the Indian coaching staff did nothing wrong and were being careful. “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,” he said.

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Kotak accuses Fortis of being arrogant

He also added that none of the Indian bowlers were wearing spikes and that the staff was being respectful of the surface. “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.”

Kotak also revealed that the curator yelled at the staff when they were moving an ice box that barely weighed 10 kilos. “The way he spoke, it was a bit arrogant. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not the easiest person to deal with,” he said.

The incident has gained attention on social media, especially with video footage showing a tense exchange between Gambhir and Fortis. “You can’t tell us what to do! You can go and report to whoever you want, but you can’t tell us what to do,” Gambhir was quoted as saying to Fortis by the Times of India.

VIDEO | Indian team's head coach Gautam Gambhir was seen having verbal spat with chief curator Lee Fortis at The Oval Cricket Ground in London ahead of the last Test match of the series starting Thursday.

After having drawn the fourth Test at Old Trafford, India have a chance… pic.twitter.com/hfjHOg9uPf

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 29, 2025

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India are currently trailing 2-1 in the five-match series. The fourth Test ended in a draw at Old Trafford and the final match at The Oval is their last chance to level the series. All eyes will now be on Thursday, July 31, when the two teams take the field for one last time in this thrilling series.