Follow UsIndia's head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated altercation with the Oval’s Chief Curator, Lee Fortis, ahead of the fifth and final Test against England - a moment former India off-spinner R Ashwin believes could charge up the entire team.
On July 29, a video surfaced showing Gambhir confronting Fortis. In the footage, the coach can be heard lambasting the groundsman, telling him repeatedly, “don’t tell us what to do” before asking him to “f** off". In response, Fortis threatened to report Gambhir to the match referee.
The confrontation follows closely on the heels of another tense moment in the series - the final hour of the drawn Manchester Test - where England captain Ben Stokes was visibly upset after Indian batters refused his offer to shake hands and instead chose to continue batting.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin compared the mood within the Indian camp to that of the 2021 Sydney Test.
“I can draw a parallel with Sydney. When we drew the Test in Sydney, there was an uncertainty because we were back in the bubble and the Gabba Test was under scrutiny. [Similarly] England were comfortably ahead in the series until that last Test,” Ashwin said.
“Till the last day, we thought the Test series was sealed. But the way that game ended, even if it was a draw, and the conversations it triggered and the press conference… it was fiery.
“When adversity is against the Indian team, somebody will rise up. When we are pushed against the wall, the Indian team becomes a different kettle of fish. It becomes a different beast.
“That particular thing going into the Test is a serious advantage for India. It may mean nothing if England play good cricket and India don’t end up on the right side, but somehow I feel this is not the way it has to be triggered.”
England currently lead the five-match series 2-1. A win for India at The Oval, starting July 31 (Thursday), will level the series 2-2 and end it on even terms.