“A coach has every right to have a look at the wicket” - Shubman Gill defends Gautam Gambhir in pitch curator controversy

The newly appointed Indian Test captain, Shubman Gill, has defended the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir, who got involved in an altercation with the Surrey chief curator Lee Fortis on Tuesday, July 29, ahead of the fifth and final Test at the Oval in London.

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Notably, Fortis wanted the Indian support staff to maintain at least 2.5m distance to take a look at the pitch, which didn’t go down well with Gambhir, who pointed out his finger towards the curator, yelling at him.

Gill, who attended the pre-match press conference, has defended Gambhir, stating that the coach and captain have every right to have a look at the wicket before the start of the game, wearing rubber spikes or barefoot.

"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 in the pre-match press conference.

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Furthermore, Gill also asserted that they have already played four Tests on this tour and they haven’t received any such instructions in the previous four games. Notably, India didn’t lodge any official complaint on the pitch curator. 

"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. 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 about," Gill added.

Both India and England will clash against each other in the fifth and final Test at the Oval in London, starting on Thursday, July 31.

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