Former Australia Batter Slams Gautam Gambhir for His Controversial Remark on The Oval Pitch Curator

Former Australia batter Matthew Hayden believes that India head coach Gautam Gambhir should have used “better language” during his verbal spat with the pitch curator of The Oval. Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with Lee Fortis, the chief pitch curator of The Oval, in the lead-up to the fifth Test against England.

During a training session at The Oval, Lee had asked Gambhir to stay 2.5 metres away from the pitch, to which Gambhir replied that he was “just a groundsman.”

“You don’t tell any of us what we need to do. You have no right to tell us, you’re just a groundsman, nothing more,” the former Delhi cricketer had said.

‘He could have used better language’: Matthew Hayden on Gautam Gambhir

Hayden acknowledged the importance of the Test match. Yet, he believes it could’ve been simply a conversation rather than a heated exchange of words.

“This is a typical case in England. But I think he’s [Gautam Gambhir] got every right to tone it down. He could have used better language. But the reality is, his team is trying to train ahead of the most important Test match,” Hayden said on All Over the Bar cricket podcast hosted by Greg Blewett, James Brayshaw, and Hayden himself.

Greg Blewett backs Matthew Hayden

Blewett, a former Australia all-rounder, backed Hayden.

He said, “I agree. Even now, even as a commentator, you get near the pitch and everyone is saying you can’t get anywhere near it and you’re like I haven’t got spikes on. It is quite ridiculous. I get the frustration. But I agree that the language that he used wasn’t great. If he reflects, he could have probably handled it a little better.”

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The five-match Test series between England and India ended in a 2-2 draw following India’s six-run win in the fifth Test at The Oval. England needed to chase down a target of 374, but were all out for 367, with centuries from Joe Root (105) and Harry Brook (111) going in vain.

England had won the first Test at Headingley, only for India to level the series 1-1 with a 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston. The Shubman Gill-led side came close in the third Test at Lord’s but were all out for 170 while looking to chase a target of 193. The fourth Test at Old Trafford ended in a draw.

This was Gill’s first series as India Test skipper, following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in May.

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