Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir grabbed the spotlight on July 29, 2025 at the Kia Oval ground ahead of the fifth and final Test against England, beginning on July 31. With Gambhir getting into a verbal altercation with pitch curator Lee Fortis, a report of RevSportz claimed that he has had a history of getting involved in the same.
The incident occurred as the Indian players came to the venue for the optional practice session ahead of the final Test. With the curator also present on the sidelines and watching the game, a seemingly casual chat turned to a heated one. The issue at hand still remains unclear and further developments are expected regarding the heated episode.
According to RevSportz, Team India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had to intervene to calm down the parties involved but Gambhir was reportedly in no mood to take a step back. Things turned sour between Indian and England players at the end of the fourth Test at the Old Trafford in Manchester. With England skipper Ben Stokes offering a handshake for a draw ahead of the last hour on day five, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar opted to keep batting for their centuries.
The decision from India irked Stokes, who went on to confront Jadeja. With the tourists pulling off a hard-fought draw in the fourth Test, they will be keen to win at The Oval to draw the series.
"The last five weeks have been really exciting for both countries" - Gautam Gambhir
Meanwhile, the entire Indian contingent visited the High commission in London and Gambhir spoke about how it special a performance it has been from the Indian team over the four Tests. He said:
"The last five weeks have been really exciting for both countries. I am sure that the kind of cricket that was put on display has made every cricket lover proud. Both teams threw a lot of punches and fought for every inch. We have one more week to go. One final push to make. One final opportunity to make our country proud. Jai Hind."
The new addition to the squad for India is Naryanan Jagadeesan, who has been called up as Rishabh Pant's injury replacement.
