India head coach Gautam Gambhir got involved in a verbal spat with The Oval Ground Staff, Lee Fortis, two days before the start of the fifth and final Test of the ongoing series.'
After the controversial end to the fourth Test in Manchester, where England players, along with captain Ben Stokes, got involved in an altercation with Ravindra Jadeja, over ending the Test match earlier than the scheduled time, there has been tension between the Indian and English camps.
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And it got further heated up after Gambhir was spotted getting engaged in an altercation with Fortis just before India started preparing at the venue.
Video footage emerged of Gambhir pointing fingers and agitated, though the exact reason for the clash remained unclear.
READ: Did Stokes really deny Jadeja a handshake after 4th Test at Old Trafford? Truth revealed
The Oval ground staff reacts to spat with Gautam Gambhir
In a conversation with the Indian press, the ground staff said: "Look, I don't want to say anything. It's quite a big game coming up, isn't it? I'm happy? It's not really my job to be happy or not."
When asked if Gambhir was a good man, Fortis replied, "I don't know. I've never met him before today."
Fortis earlier had allegedly labelled Gambhir as "Touchy" but when asked to clarify his comment, the ground staff said: "I don't know. You saw what he was like this morning."
🚨BREAKING: The Oval Ground Staff, Lee Fortis tries to play down the spat and says,”Gambhir is a touchy guy.”@debasissen @ThumsUpOfficial #ENGvsIND #GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/pFMif7SIUH
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) July 29, 2025
What next for England and India?
The two teams have only three days to recover and prepare for the fifth Test, where the outcome of the series will be decided. Day 1 of the fifth Test starts on Thursday, July 31.