India won The Oval Test by five runs and levelled series 2-2.
Former India skipper Dilip Vengsarkar lambasted former Australia opener Matthew Hayden for his comments on the animated chat between current head coach Gautam Gambhir and The Oval pitch curator. A video of Gambhir having a heated altercation with pitch curator Lee Fortis went viral on social media, ahead of the ENG vs IND Test. India eventually recorded a historic win and levelled the five-match series 2-2.
After the fifth Test, Hayden asserted that the curator was seemingly determined to make things difficult for Gambhir. He even advised the Indian coach to be more measured in his approach.
“This is a typical case in England. It is a bit of a flex; here we are, the final Test match, this is my venue, and they are going to try and make it difficult for Gautam Gambhir. But I think he’s 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 Bar The Cricket.
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Hayden’s remarks did not sit well with Vengsarkar. He backed the India coach while criticising the curator for not letting Gambhir have a look at the pitch. He also questioned how an Australian would have reacted in such a case.
“As the head coach of the Indian team, Gambhir had every right to see the pitch from close quarters. When teams tour India, their entire squad, not just the captain and coach, examines the pitch minutely. Even their media inspect the pitch before the match. No one tells them anything. So, how are the rules different when we are playing in England? Would Hayden, or any of the Aussie cricketers, take it well if a curator had asked them to stay away from the square ahead of an important match? If this had happened to the Aussies, they would have used the choicest words to show the curator his place,” he told the Mumbai Mirror.
Meanwhile, the Shubman Gill-led side made an incredible comeback, securing a six-run win against England in the final to draw the five-match series 2-2. Mohammed Siraj bowled an inspired burst to help produce a miracle win.
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