IND vs ENG: Gautam Gambhir gets into massive fight with The Oval’s groundstaff; India staff required to step in | Cricket News
TimesofIndia.com in London: Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and the groundstaff of The Oval were involved in a heated exchange on Tuesday, two days before the start of the fifth and final Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.Team India, who reached London on Monday, were scheduled to have their first practice session on Tuesday. However, head coach Gautam Gambhir was reportedly unhappy with the facilities provided to the visiting team.The conversation escalated into a major altercation, leaving coach Gambhir visibly furious. He was seen repeatedly pointing fingers at the ground staff and shouting, “You can’t tell us what to do!” The situation became tense, and the duo had to be separated by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and other members of the Indian support staff.TimesofIndia.com has learnt that The Oval’s ground staff have threatened to lodge a complaint against the India head coach. Unfazed, Gambhir reportedly shouted back, “You can go and report to whoever you want, but you can’t tell us what to do.”
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The fifth and final Test of the series is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
After India fought back impressively to secure a draw in the fourth Test against England in Manchester, Gambhir came out strongly in defence of captain Shubman Gill, criticising those who had doubted his leadership credentials. Gambhir said that he wants his players to carve out their own legacy instead of following in anyone else’s footsteps — including his own.“They want to fight for the common man back home. And the important thing is that the way a lot of people had written us off in this Test match, this is the foundation of this team,” Gambhir told reporters.“These are characters who are sitting in this dressing room, wanting to fight for the country and they will continue to do that,” added the former cricketer.India’s spirited draw was made possible by key partnerships, including a 188-run stand between skipper Gill and KL Rahul, which laid the groundwork for resistance. That was followed by a gritty and unbeaten 203-run solid stand between Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, ensuring England were denied a win.Gambhir also voiced his full support for Gill, who is leading the Test side for the first time. The young captain has been in stellar form, already notching up four centuries in the series.“There was never any doubt about Shubman Gill’s talent. If someone had doubts, they probably don’t understand cricket. Some players take time to settle in international cricket. In this dressing room, no one is surprised by what he’s done on this tour,” Gambhir said.“Even if he hadn’t performed the way he did, we would still have had complete faith in his talent. What matters is that he’s living up to his expectations and potential. More importantly, the so-called pressure of captaincy doesn’t seem to affect him when he bats; he plays as a batsman, not as a captain,” he added.
