REVEALED! Why Did Gautam Gambhir Lose His Cool At The Oval Before Abusive Tirade
Gautam Gambhir's outburst at The Oval's head groundsman Lee Fortis was due to India not getting a suitable practice pitch. Tensions rose when Fortis made specific demands.
The reasons behind Gautam Gambhir's stunning abusive tirade at The Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis are slowly coming out.
According to further reports, it all started when India wasn't given a desirable surface to practice on the ground. Reportedly, the pitch provided was wet, and India asked for different arrangements, which were denied. Further, Fortis is said to have tried to pinpoint minute details at Gambhir, like where the team should make their marks and not, which further angered the head coach, unraveling into the argument.
Videos from the incident show Gambhir pointing fingers at Fortis, and telling him, 'You can complain to whoever you want, you don't tell us what to do. You are just a groundsman.'
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is said to have played a role in easing out tensions by speaking to both parties. He recently spoke at a press conference to explain what went down.
'When we were looking at pitch, they sent a staff member to order us to stand two and a half metres away," Kotak said. 'We were wearing joggers. It was a surprise, very odd. We were looking at the wicket with rubber spikes, and there was nothing wrong with it. We were making sure the ground wasn't damaged. It's a pitch, not an antique."
Fortis was repeatedly asked for a comment by the media present on the ground but denied, only mentioning that Gambhir was 'a bit touchy' ahead of the big game. Kotak, on his part, said that India won't lodge any complaint.
It all happened during India's official practice session before the Test. Not all players were present, but the support staff was there early to get hours into Arshdeep Singh, Sai Sudharsan and Kuldeep Yadav, among others.
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First Published:
July 29, 2025, 17:32 IST
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