India National Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team: India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has addressed the recent controversy involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Oval pitch curator. The incident occurred during a practice session ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. A video that surfaced online showed Gambhir in a heated argument with the pitch curator at The Oval. The exchange escalated and Kotak had to step in to separate the two. The video went viral, leaving fans puzzled about what triggered Gambhir’s anger.
Speaking to the media, Kotak addressed the controversy and shared the Indian camp’s version of events."The curator yelled at our support staff when they were getting an icebox. Gambhir objected to the tone. The way the curator spoke irked him. Everyone knows the curator at The Oval is not easy to deal with. India will not file any official complaint," Kotak said as quoted by the Times of India.
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He added that the team was asked to stay 2.5 meters away from the pitch even though they were wearing joggers. "We were having a conversation near the pitch and they sent someone to tell us to stay 2.5 meters away. We know curators are very possessive about the square. What he said about the head coach is his opinion. We did nothing wrong. We were wearing rubber spikes," Kotak said.
India are preparing for a must-win fifth Test at The Oval starting July 31. The team trails the five-match series 1-2 and must win the final match to draw the series and share the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with England.
