Oval Pitch Curator directly threatened Gautam Gambhir to....

Just two days before the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a heated argument with Lee Fortis, the chief curator of The Oval ground. The controversial incident unfolded during India’s first practice session on July 29.

Things escalated to such an extent that India’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, had to step in and calm the situation. Now, Revsportz claimed that it was the Oval’s pitch curator who provoked the Indian cricket team and Gautam Gambhir with a series of sarcastic and inflammatory remarks several times that led to the heated argument between the two.

Gautam Gambhir loses cool after The Oval curator mocks India ahead of the final Test

As reported by Revsportz, all the drama began when the Indian cricket team approached Lee Fortis and asked what they could expect from the pitch at The Oval in the next 48 hours so that they could chalk out their plans, but it turned into a verbal spat. A sarcastic Fortis mockingly said he would “grow more grass over the next two days on this wicket so you guys have trouble.”

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It was the first time the pitch curator riled up the Indians a little bit. But the situation escalated when Gambhir himself moved forward to inspect the pitch, and he was well within his rights as head coach to go and inspect the pitch. But Lee ended up infuriating Gambhir by suggesting he try and look at the wicket from beyond the rope, and tensions soared.

The pitch Comment and icebox incident infuriate Gautam Gambhir

The chief curator of The Oval reportedly told Gambhir, “You can look at the pitch… but only from two and a half meters away.” That is basically beyond the rope.

It was not just that; Fortis Lee also insulted a member of India’s support staff who was trying to bring an icebox onto the field. When the Indian support staff brought in the icebox, the pitch curator shouted and asked to bring the icebox from outside the rope.

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Lee demanded him to walk all around the rope from outside the boundary line and then bring it, saying, “You cannot walk inside the ground.” This behavior didn’t sit well with the Indian head coach, and those were the things that provoked Gautam, and Lee had to face his wrath.

🚨The Oval Pitch Curator, Lee Fortis provoked Indian team with sarcasm & comments about the pitch & icebox, sparking the altercation.

Full inside story on what really happened.@BoriaMajumdar @Wowmomo4u #Leefortis #GautamGambhir #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/xZ6kdwTeTv

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 30, 2025

What did Gautam Gambhir say to the pitch curator?

During a tense moment at The Oval, Lee Fortis reportedly approached Gautam Gambhir and said, “I will have to report this.” And the head coach quickly responded, “You go and report whatever you want to report.”

The conversation heated up as Gambhir pointed towards the groundstaff and said, “You can't tell us what to do. You are just one of the groundsmen, nothing beyond.” He strongly added, “You don’t tell us what we need to do.”

Later, Sitanshu Kotak confirmed that the curators misbehaved with Gambhir and the support staff. He said that before the Indian camp, England head coach Brendon McCullum and team director Rob Key came for the pitch inspection, but the rules were not applicable for the hosts.