Ravichandran Ashwin has broken his silence on the recent heated exchange between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis. The argument occurred just days before the decisive fifth Test between India and England. The clash was triggered when Fortis asked Indian support staff to stay 2.5 meters away from the pitch, which led to Gambhir losing his cool and publicly reprimanding the curator.
“You don’t tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond,” Gambhir snapped, according to reports. The incident left an awkward atmosphere at India’s practice session, with the confrontation happening in full view of several players and officials. Fortis responded by stating he would report the incident, while Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak later clarified that Gambhir stepped in to defend his team’s support staff.
‘India Becomes a Beast When Pushed’: Ashwin
Ashwin, speaking on his show Ash Ki Baat, believes this confrontation could serve as a turning point for India. He said the Indian team performs its best when facing adversity and warned that England may have awakened a motivated side heading into The Oval Test.
“England were ahead in the series, but things changed with the draw in Manchester. This pitch drama only fuels the fire,” Ashwin said. Drawing comparisons with the famous Sydney Test during India’s 2021 Australia tour, he added, “When adversity is against the Indian team, somebody always rises up. That’s when we become a different beast.”
Ashwin concluded by saying that while the pitch debate might seem small, such moments can have a deep psychological impact before a high-stakes game. India, he feels, are ready to bounce back hard.
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