Indian skipper Shubman Gill has weighed in on the confrontation between Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and Surrey’s chief groundsman Lee Fortis. Gambhir was involved in a heated verbal spat with Lee Fortis during the practice session at The Oval on Tuesday. The altercation broke out after Fortis reportedly asked the Indian staff to keep away from the main part of the protected square. Speaking on the incident, Indian skipper Shubman Gill said that it was 'absolutely unnecessary'.
"What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary. It's not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket; we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket, and I didn't think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don't know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket,” Gill said while addressing the press.
"As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or (are) barefoot, you can see the wicket from near. I don’t know exactly what happened yesterday. We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch."
"All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don't know what the fuss was all about."
India, who are currently 1-2 down in the series, are in a must-win situation heading into the fifth game. Gill was asked whether the pressure had anything to do with Gambhir’s face-off with the curator.
“Not really. If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that's not something that has happened to us before. We've been playing cricket for such a long time. As long as you are under rubber spikes or you’re barefoot, you are allowed to look at the wicket from close quarters. That's the job of the coach and the captain."