Cricket Tensions: Gill Defends Gambhir Amid Curator Clash

India captain Shubman Gill defended coach Gautam Gambhir after a tense exchange with The Oval's chief curator, Lee Fortis. The incident arose when Fortis asked coaching staff to maintain a distance from the pitch. Gill termed the request unnecessary, emphasizing a coach's right to inspect a wicket closely.

India's cricket captain, Shubman Gill, has spoken out in support of coach Gautam Gambhir following a contentious encounter with Lee Fortis, the chief curator at The Oval. The disagreement occurred during a training session on Tuesday, when Fortis instructed India's coaching staff to keep a distance of 2.5 metres from the main pitch square.

This restriction, requested despite coaches not wearing spikes, frustrated the Indian team. Gambhir retorted that Fortis, described as 'just a groundsman,' had no authority to issue such instructions. Gill echoed this sentiment on the eve of the final Test, deeming the actions unnecessary and emphasizing a coach's entitlement to closely inspect a wicket.

Gill also noted the absence of similar instructions at other English venues. He dismissed connections to recent on-field tensions, while emphasizing the importance of close inspection of wickets in cricket. Meanwhile, English players, including Joe Root and Ollie Pope, were seen 'shadow batting' on the pitch, an act Ben Stokes refrained from commenting on due to his absence that day.

(With inputs from agencies.)