Gautam Gambhir gave a befitting reply to some of his naysayers after guiding a relatively inexperienced Indian team to draw the five-match Test series 2-2 against England. Not many gave India a chance heading into the tour, with a strong England side waiting to use the home conditions to their advantage. However, Shubman Gill and Co. fought fire with fire and managed to level the series after a thrilling six-run win in the final Test at The Oval in London.
Ahead of the fifth Test, India's head coach Gambhir got into a heated altercation with Oval curator Lee Fortis during one of the practice sessions. Fortis reportedly asked the Indian coaching staff to stay 2.5 metres away from the main pitch square, despite them wearing joggers or rubber-spiked shoes, prompting frustration from the Indian camp. Gambhir couldn't keep his composure after this as he gave the curator a piece of his mind.
Matthew Hayden recalled his interactions with pitch curators in the past and took Gambhir's side. However, the former Australian opener did mention that the former Kolkata Knight Riders captain could have used better language during the argument.
Incidentally, on the day, legendary England batter Joe Root and stand-in captain Ollie Pope were found standing on the match pitch doing shadow batting.
Former Australian all-rounder Greg Blewett, part of the discussion panel, added that the incident was ridiculous. He also agreed with Hayden's views, saying that Gambhir could have toned himself down a bit during the spat.