‘Feels like we're still in 1947 era': Irfan Pathan stands by Gautam Gambhir, slams Oval pitch curator
'The curator at The Oval has a bit of a history of being rude. This isn't the first time something like this has happened with overseas team captains and coaches,' Irfan Pathan said.
Irfan Pathan explained the difference between bowling and fielding spikes. Bowling spikes have steel nails while fielding ones do not. Spikes can collect dirt and grass, especially on wet grounds, and sometimes damage the pitch or grass.
Then, he spoke about Gautam Gambhir being accused of wearing spikes during the pitch inspection. Irfan said Gambhir had followed the rules by wearing rubber spikes.
'The way the media is trying to paint Gautam Gambhir as the villain is a part of an ongoing trend. It's been happening for quite some time now, and people are noticing it,' Pathan said.
Pathan referred to a photo on Twitter (now X), uploaded by Sarang Bhalerao. It was originally shared by cricket analyst Adam Collins on July 25, 2023.
The photo, taken two days before Ashes 2023, shows England Head Coach Brendon McCullum having a light-hearted chat with Fortis. Both of them were standing in the middle of the pitch.
'So, an English coach can go there, but an Indian coach cannot. It feels like we're still in the 1947 era. (I am) Absolutely not going to accept it. Fans can decide whether they will accept this or not. But, I will not,' Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
'How can you inspect the pitch from 2.5 metres away? You have to touch and check it. This is an unnecessary controversy,' he added.
Irfan praises the Indian cricket team's fight and spirit in the ongoing Test series against England. Despite injuries and challenges, Team India won a Test, drew another and competed fiercely overall.
'Even though India are trailing 2-1 before the final match, they've played really good cricket. It's been 20 days of solid cricket,' Pathan said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
41 minutes ago
- India Today
The Siraj bhai series: Out of Bumrah's shadow, ruling India's hearts
If you had seen Mohammed Siraj steaming in on Monday morning, you'd have been forgiven for mistaking it as the opening day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. There was nothing in his body language to suggest this was Day 25 of a gruelling Test series. No sign of the 185.3 overs he'd already bowled. No visible limp in the legs that had pounded in for over a thousand deliveries. Just heart. Pure, relentless, unmistakable needed a miracle. England required just 35 runs with four wickets in hand. Jamie Smith, a fit wicketkeeper-batter; two aggressive all-rounders in Jamie Overton and Gus Atkinson; and Chris Woakes, battling through pain with a dislocated shoulder, stood in their way. But Siraj saw none of that. What he saw was belief. Or rather, B.E.L.I.E.V.E — capital letters all emblazoned across a Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper on his vs India, 5th Test Day 5 Highlights | Scorecard He woke two hours earlier than usual. Tossed. Turned. Couldn't sleep. It wasn't nerves or pressure, it was anticipation. The sense that this could be his moment. That he, Mohammed Siraj, the boy from Hyderabad who once ran errands on a scooter, could win India a Test match through sheer Siraj channelled Bumrah on Monday morning and made the world believe in Siraj bhai.4.1 OVERS FROM HELLEngland knocked off eight runs in the first over of the day. It felt inevitable. Overton and Smith were capable of finishing it off with a couple of hits. But Siraj hadn't stopped charged in from wide of the crease, angled one in just enough to hold its line. Smith, looking to feel bat on ball, nicked it. Dhruv Jurel did the rest behind the stumps. One down. Three to go. Game over: wobble seam. His trusted ally. Overton, the big-hitter, trapped in front. England reviewed. Umpire's call. Clipping the bails. That was over: Prasidh Krishna, inspired by Siraj's discipline, cleaned up Josh Tongue. The Oval wasn't quiet anymore. You could hear came the final no mug with the bat, was still swinging. He launched one over long-on for six. A couple of byes followed. Then a single. The equation dropped to eight. England began to dream of a miracle of their Siraj had saved his fastest for 1113 of his series. Over 185.3. A searing yorker at 143 kph. Atkinson was late. Off-stump flattened. The Oval stunned. India erupted. Siraj sprinted away in celebration, arms spread wide, chest thumping, finishing with a Ronaldo-style of a lion. Performance of a champion. #SonySportsNetwork #ENGvIND #NayaIndia #DhaakadIndia #TeamIndia #ExtraaaInnings | @mdsirajofficial Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) August 4, 2025He finished with figures of 5 for 67 — his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests — and handed India a six-run victory to level the series 2–2. He gave the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy the ending it deserved.'I always believed in my bowling,' he said after the match. 'I don't care if it's my first spell or the eighth. I give 100 percent every ball. I'm not bowling for myself; I'm bowling for the country.'The final morning at The Oval wasn't just a burst of brilliance. It was a culmination of 25 days of toil, heartbreak, redemption, and unwavering self-belief. Siraj carried a nation's fight through a brutal Lord's, he failed to hold on alongside Ravindra Jadeja when India needed 22 runs more in their 195-run chase. On Day 4 at The Oval, he dropped Harry Brook on 19 before the world's top-ranked batter punished India with a 90-ball 111. Twice his morale could've crumbled. A lesser man might have broken. But not Siraj. He believes. And when he believes, India don't know why the Almighty did all that with me,' Siraj said later, half-laughing. 'Maybe he saved something good for me.'SIRAJ'S GLADIATORIAL EFFORT: IN NUMBERS1113 balls, 185.3 overs. The most bowled by any Indian pacer in the series.283 false shots drawn. No Indian seamer in recorded history has drawn more in a series.5 wickets in the final innings, 23 in total in the Indian quick to play all five truly appreciate Siraj's impact, rewind to when he wasn't India's spearhead — just a spirited apprentice learning in Bumrah's shadow.'I only believe in Jassi bhai because he is a game-changer,' Siraj once for years, that rang true. Bumrah was the phenomenon. Siraj, the workhorse. One bent the game to his will; the other bent his body for the on this tour, the hierarchy shifted. Bumrah, worn from a heavy workload, lacked his usual venom. So Siraj stepped into the void — not just to fill it, but to own the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Siraj bowled more overs than anyone. He became India's engine room. When the ball was old, the pitch flat, and the scoreboard ominous, Shubman Gill turned to simply never stopped. Not when dropped catches robbed him. Not when his own hands failed at deep square. Not when over 1100 deliveries weighed on his legs. He just kept he kept getting JUST HEARTIt's easy and tempting to call Siraj 'lion-hearted'. And yes, his heart is the size of Hyderabad. But to stop there would be to overlook how finely he's honed his five Tests, Siraj showcased evolution. His wobble seam deliveries pounded English pads all tour. He rediscovered his outswinger — not just as a release, but as a trap. Lure them wide, then fire in the skiddy in-ducker. Wickets Joe Root. Ask Ollie Pope. They'll tell you how tough it was to react to the Siraj jag-backers, even when they saw it good days, he was teasing edges for fun. On dead days, he bent his back to keep things tight. When he needed a showstopper, he unleashed the Crawley on Day 3 at The Oval — undone by a yorker after being set up days later, with the series on the line, Gus Atkinson was next. After hitting a six, he faced Siraj's 1113th ball of the series: 143 kph. Missile. Off-stump. numbers were enormous. But Siraj's impact transcended stats. He earned admiration. Even from the Joe Root, rarely one for fanfare, was generous: 'He's a character, a warrior — a real warrior. Someone you want on your side. He gives everything for India. Credit to him for the way he plays. He's got this sort of fake angriness — but he's actually a lovely lad.'Ben Stokes, the archetypal last man standing, offered just this: 'I've always had great respect and admiration for Mohammed Siraj. He just keeps coming. You know he's never out of the fight.'And Brendon McCullum, the mastermind behind Bazball, summed it up:'As much as we were incredibly disappointed, I had admiration for him. What he did out there that's special.'OLD-SCHOOL GRITIndia clawed back from 1–2 down. They retained the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy without their talisman at full tilt. In that final hour at The Oval, they didn't have the quickest bowler or the freshest legs. They had Siraj. And that was was the emotional core of India's campaign. The man who turned exhaustion into energy.'Cricket is my first love. I can do anything for it. My passion, my dedication Whenever I don't perform or we lose, it hurts. I love the sport too much. It hurts when you have breakups (laughs),' Siraj the age of T20 mercenaries and workload management, Siraj's story is a reminder. Of the days when playing for your country again and again, no matter how tired, was the greatest currency, the greatest honour of all.- EndsTune InYou May Also Like
India Today
42 minutes ago
- India Today
India beat England by 6 runs in 5th Test at Oval, Top court raps Rahul Gandhi's China remark, more
8:30 In an exclusive interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Mohammed Ismail, brother of Mohammed Siraj, spoke about the Indian pacer's relentless 'never die' attitude - shaped in the streets of Hyderabad - and his rise from tennis-ball cricket to the highest level of the game.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'We're disappointed': Ben Stokes after England crumbled under pressure against India at The Oval
England had the victory in sight at The Oval but Indian bowlers delivered a clutch performance to snitch the victory from the grip of the hosts. India won the match by six runs. read more England were 'disappointed and frustrated' at not winning the intensely-fought five-match Test series against India but the 2-2 result was 'probably fair', feels home team captain Ben Stokes. I ndia beat England by six runs in the final Test here to draw the series. The visitors made a remarkable fightback on the final morning on Monday, picking up the remaining four England wickets quickly to bowl the hosts out for 367. Stokes did not play the final Test at the Oval due to a shoulder injury. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think the series as a whole even before this game, it was just all four games going to five days. This one again. It's been toe to toe pretty for 25 days. You know, two teams, two very good teams who have thrown everything at each other. Left nothing out there,' Stokes said. 'From a cricket fan's point of view 2-2 is probably fair. Obviously, we're disappointed now to have not got the result that we wanted to give us a series win, there's obviously that disappointment and a little bit of frustration there as well from everyone.' He felt the fiercely-fought series was a 'fantastic' advert of Test cricket. 'But as a massive advocate of this format and Test cricket as a whole, this has certainly been one of those series that could hopefully keep off that narrative around Test cricket is dying. As an advocate of the game the series has been fantastic to be part of.' On the partnership between England second innings centurions Joe Root and Harry Brook which raised hopes of an England victory, Stokes said, 'Yeah 380 is obviously a very large total to try and chase down but as the game got deeper and deeper, the way that the wicket was playing completely changed from day one and day two. 'So we knew that if any of our lads were to get in it was going to give us a good chance. Harry got us into that position by playing a particular way, putting the Indian bowlers under the immense pressure to take them away from being able to consistently bowl the areas that they wanted to bowl. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I'm sure everyone was applauding him when he bought up his 100 in the way that he did. Some of the shots he played were unbelievable. So, yeah, the dismissal and the way that he got out was a shot that we seen a lot of him do in that innings, which I'm sure was getting a lot of praise.' Tailender Chris Woakes came out to bat despite a fractured left arm, tied up and strapped, and Stokes termed it 'unbelievable'. 'It was never going to be a question for him to go out there. He was in a lot of discomfort running between the wickets there, but we've had Rishab up going out and back with a broken foot, Bash (Bashir) going out there bowling and batting fielding with a broken finger,' the skipper said. 'Then we go to Chris out there today trying and get his team over the line with the quite recently dislocated shoulder. That just goes back to how much energy and effort that's been put into the series by both teams. Everyone's left a lot out on the ground for their countries, the series, definitely.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
