Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated argument with Surrey’s chief curator, Lee Fortis. The incident before the fifth Test of the series has put Fortis under the scanner for his double standards.

According to the team’s batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak, the problem started when the Indian National Cricket Team’s support staff was told to stand 2.5 metres away from the pitch during the inspection process.

“It was surprising. We were just checking out the surface wearing joggers and not spikes. I haven’t seen anything like that in the past,” he said.

Fortis didn’t say anything to England head coach Brendon McCullum and ECB managing director Rob Key when they assessed the pitch.

According to Kotak, Fortis didn’t give any instructions to the home team. “England staff came in casual clothes and nobody told them where to stand and what not to do,” Kotak mentioned.

What led to the heated argument between Gambhir and Fortis

The situation became tense when Fortis shouted at one of the members of the Indian team’s support staff for bringing a 10-kilo cooling box near the main square, despite no risk of it damaging the playing surface.

Despite the incident, the Indian team will not lodge a complaint with the ECB. Meanwhile, Surrey County Cricket Club, which owns The Oval, hasn’t made any statement. Sources said Fortis was protecting the main square.