Credit: BCCI/Google
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his views on Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir's verbal tussle with The Oval groundsman Lee Fortis ahead of the fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. On July 29, a video of Gambhir’s altercation with Fotis went viral. The groundsman objected to a cooler being run on to the square which broke out the verbal spat. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has divulged that things got worse when Lee screamed at the members of Team India management. Fortis then threatened Gambhir by saying that he may be forced to lodge a complaint against him. However, Gambhir looked unfazed and responded that he can go and report to anybody.
Following the incident, images of Fortis standing on the pitch with England head coach Brendon McCullum are getting viral on social media. Reacting to the pictures, Irfan Pathan took to social media and called out the unequal treatment of visiting sides. Through his X handle, Irfan wrote, "So an English coach can walk onto the pitch to inspect it? but an Indian coach can't? Are we still stuck in the colonial era?"
India expected to display fight in the must-win contest at The Oval
Team India will be expected to play quality cricket in the upcoming contest at The Oval to end the tournament in a stalemate. England are set to retain the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy but the visitors will endeavour to beat the hosts in the final Test of the former’s tour and evade a series defeat.
On the other side, Ben Stokes and his men will strive to beat Shubman Gill’s side and help England win their fourth Test series against India on home soil within the last 15 years. India will look to replicate their 2021 performance, when they thrashed England by 157 runs at The Oval, under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.
