Gautam Gambhir Archives

Hayden urges Gambhir to choose words carefully after Oval curator spat

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes India head coach Gautam Gambhir could have handled his heated exchange with The Oval curator Lee Fortis ahead of the fifth Test against England with more measured language.

The incident occurred during India’s optional training session before the final Test of the five-match series in late July.

Members of the Indian support staff arrived early to inspect the pitch, with Gambhir joining them later alongside his assistant coaches.

Lee Fortis was reportedly unhappy with the Indian players using most of the main square for training and being in close proximity to the pitch.

While speaking with assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak, the curator was interrupted by Gautam Gambhir, leading to a verbal confrontation.

Fortis was heard warning Gambhir not to swear and threatening to lodge a complaint with the match referee.

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The groundsman also asked the Indian staff to stay at least 2.5 metres away from the main square, citing footwear concerns, to which Gambhir reacted by repeatedly calling him “just a groundsman” while pointing at him.

Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Matthew Hayden said he could relate to Gambhir’s frustration, recalling his own experiences with protective curators in England.

“I used to sit in the middle and meditate. Often, someone would come up and tell me to move. Curators can get pretty protective around the surface, especially in England,” Hayden said.

“This was a bit of a flex, final Test match, their venue, and they tried to make it difficult for Gautam Gambhir.

“He’s got every right, but he could have toned it down. The reality is, his team was preparing for the most important Test match.”

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Coach has every right to look at wicket: Gill backs Gambhir amid Oval pitch controversy

India captain Shubman Gill has thrown his support behind head coach Gautam Gambhir following a heated exchange with the Oval pitch head groundsman ahead of the fourth Test against England.

A day earlier, India’s head coach Gambhir was involved in a verbal spat with the pitch curator Lee Fortis. The curator raised concerns about the heavy footmarks and the training equipment on the main pitch.

In doing so, he suggested that the Indian team should view the pitch from 2.5 meters away from the strip. As a result, Gautam Gambhir was seen pointing his finger at Fortis.

“You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do.

You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman; you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman,” Gautam Gambhir had said to Lee Fortis.

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Now, Shubman Gill has commented on the incident, who was not present at the venue during the incident

“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.

He backed Gautam Gambhir, noting that the coach has every right to look at the pitch.

“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,” he added.

Shubman Gill said they had never received any instructions during a pitch inspection under certain circumstances.

“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,” he said.

“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,” Shubman Gill concluded.

For the unversed, India is trailing 2-1 in the five-match series against England, despite producing a memorable performance in the fourth Test in Manchester, which secured a draw.

The visitors will be eyeing a win in the final Test at the Oval, which is set to begin tomorrow, to level the series.

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WATCH: Gautam Gambhir involved in verbal spat with Oval pitch curator

India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated exchange with the Oval pitch curator ahead of the fifth Test against England.

The two sides are set to face off in the fifth and final Test at the venue on July 31, with England leading the series 2-1.

England won the opening Test by five wickets in Leeds; however, India fought back with an impressive win in the second game in Birmingham.

The third Test between both sides became a cliffhanger, with England winning the match at Lord’s only by 22 runs on the final day of the game.

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The Indian team arrived in London from Manchester after producing a memorable performance in the fourth Test and had an optional training session.

However, things heated up after the Indian team arrived at the venue as Gautam Gambhir was seen in an animated chat with Surrey head groundsman Lee Fortis.

The dispute happened reportedly due to a disagreement over the use of the square housing the main pitch.

The incident took place when Gautam Gambhir intervened during a discussion between India’s assistant coach, Sitanshu Kotak, and the groundsmen.

Subsequently, Fortis warned Gautam Gambhir about reporting him to the International Cricket Council (ICC) if he continued to ‘swear’ at them.

“You don’t tell us what we need to do. You don’t tell us what we need to do, okay. You don’t need to tell us. You don’t tell any of my squad what we need to do.

You have no right to tell us. You’re just a groundsman; you stay in your capacity. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond. You are just a groundsman,” Gautam Gambhir replied to Lee Fortis.

After the incident, Lee Fortis denied any heated exchange with India’s head coach.

“I’ve never met him before; he must’ve played here. You saw what he was like this morning. I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him. There’s no side to the story,” Lee Fortis said.

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Gautam Gambhir keeps Jasprit Bumrah decision open ahead of fifth England Test

MANCHESTER: India head coach Gautam Gambhir remained tight-lipped over the inclusion of Jasprit Bumrah for the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, scheduled to begin on July 31 at The Oval.

With England leading the five-match series 2-1, India will head into the decider aiming to level the series, following a gritty draw in the fourth Test where the visitors batted out five sessions under pressure.

There had been concerns around Bumrah’s workload heading into the final leg of the series, especially given his central role across formats.

But Gautam Gambhir confirmed that the pace spearhead, along with the rest of the fast bowlers, is fully fit.

“All the fast bowlers are fit. There are no injury concerns,” Gambhir stated during the post-match press conference.

However, he remained non-committal when asked if the management would stick to the original workload management plan or reconsider given the series situation.

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“We haven’t had any conversation around the combination for the last Test. No decision has been made on whether Jasprit Bumrah will play or not. Ultimately, whoever plays, they will try and do the job for the country,” he added.

Reflecting on the drawn fourth Test, Gambhir lauded the team’s fight but made it clear that results remain the ultimate benchmark.

“You are asking someone who only believes in results. We are still 2-1 down in the series,” he said.

“Yes, there is inexperience, but this is still the best Indian team right now. Hopefully, we can make it 2-2. That’s going to be a good achievement.”

He credited the batting unit for showing character under pressure and backed his side to bring the fight to The Oval.

“Batting for five sessions after being put under pressure shows great character. Going into The Oval, we’ll take a lot of confidence,” he concluded.

India squad for fifth England Test

Shubman Gill (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Anshul Kamboj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur

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Gautam Gambhir faces growing pressure ahead of second England Test

India head coach Gautam Gambhir is under growing pressure ahead of the second Test against England after the loss at Headingley made it seven defeats in 11 red-ball matches since he took over last year.

The 43-year-old former opening batter is facing flak from some quarters for his selections, man management and how he carries himself in press conferences.

India are ushering in a new era following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with Gambhir widely reported to have played a part in the exit of at least one of the two veteran stars.

Led by new captain Shubman Gill, the visitors were beaten by five wickets in the opening Test of the five-match England series, adding to a growing sense of alarm.

The second Test at Edgbaston starts on Wednesday, and patience is wearing thin back home.

“Gautam Gambhir is under significant pressure. The situation is becoming increasingly tense,” former India batsman Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

“He has managed two wins against Bangladesh and one against Australia, but we’ve lost three matches to New Zealand, three to Australia and now one to England.

“He has been losing and losing.”

Gambhir, who as a player had a key role in India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2011, succeeded Rahul Dravid in July last year.

Dravid signed off a largely successful three-year tenure by winning the T20 World Cup.

Gambhir was chosen as his successor almost exactly a year ago, but he and his side suffered a significant bloody nose when they went down 3-0 to New Zealand.

It was India’s first Test series defeat at home in 12 years.

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Along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, Gautam Gambhir was criticised for leaving middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan out of the squad for England.

Karun Nair was picked ahead of Sarfaraz, who had scores of 68 not out and 56 against a visiting England last year, and made 150 versus New Zealand in Bengaluru.

Gambhir’s detractors say he is hot-headed and accuse him of acting too much on instinct.

Speaking ahead of the series, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik said that “tactically, Gauti (Gambhir) is a very good coach.

“Man management is the area that I am sure he would be looking at,” he told Sky Sports’ cricket podcast.

“But one thing about him is that he is looking out for his players, which is massive.

“What I feel at times is that the way he is aggressive as a captain, you can’t be as a coach.”

Following the defeat at Headingley, Gambhir looked ruffled and snapped in reply to a question about Rishabh Pant’s centuries in each innings.

The visiting batters scored five centuries in the match but still lost.

Former batter Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Gautam Gambhir should be kept away from the media, after the coach bit back at Ricky Ponting ahead of the tour to Australia last year.

India went on to lose the series 3-1.

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Gautam Gambhir clears the air on Bumrah’s participation in remaining England Tests

India team head coach Gautam Gambhir has downplayed any alteration to Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management plan, despite the team suffering a five-wicket defeat against England in the first Test on Tuesday.

Before the five-match Test series, the Indian team management outlined a workload management plan for Jasprit Bumrah, allowing him to feature in only three Test matches.

The precautionary major was taken in light of Bumrah’s back surgery after the Border-Gavaskar series.

Following the post-match press conference, Gautam Gambhir commented on Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management in the rest of the series.

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“I think for us to manage Bumrah’s workload is more important because there’s a lot of cricket going forward and we know that what he brings to the table as well,” Gambhir said.

“So before he came on this tour, it was already decided that Jasprit Bumrah is going to play three Test matches, but let’s see how his body turns up. But we haven’t decided which two other Test matches he’s going to play, ” he added.

Gambhir emphasized the inexperience of the Indian pace attack while urging patience with the fast bowlers.

“This bowling attack has one bowler with five Tests under his belt, one has four, one has played two, and one hasn’t yet debuted. We will have to give them time,” he said.

“If we start judging our bowlers after every Test, how will we develop a bowling attack? Outside Bumrah and (Mohammad) Siraj, we don’t have that much experience, but they have quality, which is why they are in this dressing room, the head coach concluded.

For context, India went on to lose the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy despite posting a total of 471 in the first innings.

The second Test between India and England will commence in Birmingham on 2 July.

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Gautam Gambhir rushes back home from England due to family emergency

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back to New Delhi from England due to a family emergency, just before the team’s intra-squad match against India A in Kent.

India are currently in the United Kingdom, gearing up for a crucial five-match Test series against England, set to begin on June 20 at Headingley.

The series will also mark the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the beginning of Shubman Gill’s tenure as India’s Test captain.

In Gambhir’s absence, assistant coaches Sitanshu Kotak and Ryan ten Doeschate will oversee preparations alongside bowling coach Morne Morkel. Meanwhile, Hrishikesh Kanitkar continues to head the India A setup.

Gambhir’s absence comes at a decisive moment, especially as the team management was expected to finalise the batting lineup in the lead-up to the first Test.

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With the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two key spots in the batting order are up for grabs. B Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair are currently in contention to fill those shoes.

After replacing Rahul Dravid as head coach post the T20 World Cup last year, Gautam Gambhir has faced a mixed start to his tenure, enduring Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia before bouncing back to lead India to glory at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

As for the playing XI, one of the pressing questions revolves around the seam-bowling allrounder role.

Shardul Thakur and Nitish Reddy are the frontrunners, with Reddy taking two wickets in 26.5 overs and Thakur bagging two across 43 overs during the first-class fixtures against Lions.

India’s pace unit also remains a topic of debate, with Jasprit Bumrah a certainty and two of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna expected to partner him in the series opener.

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Gautam Gambhir opens up on future of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in Test side

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has thrown his weight behind senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, making it clear that as long as they are performing, their place in the Test side should not be questioned.

Following India’s 3-1 series defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, debates around the future of the veteran duo have resurfaced, particularly with a tough five-Test tour of England on the horizon, starting June 20 at Headingley.

However, Gambhir, speaking to Indian media on Tuesday, made his stance abundantly clear that only performance should be the defining factor in determining a player’s place in the team, not their age.

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“As long as they are performing, they deserve to be in the team,” Gautam Gambhir said.

“When a player begins or ends their career should be their own decision. No coach, selector, or even the BCCI should have the authority to decide that. If someone is performing at 40, they can play till 45. Who is stopping them?”

Gambhir, who took over the reins as head coach earlier this year, also reminded critics of Kohli and Rohit’s proven match-winning pedigree, especially in high-pressure tournaments like the Champions Trophy.

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He pointed out that players with such experience bring a different level of composure and value to the dressing room, especially in marquee series.

When pressed about squad selection for the England tour, Gautam Gambhir clarified the division of responsibilities, stating that the head coach does not get involved in picking the squad.

“A coach’s job is not to select the team. That responsibility lies with the selectors. My role begins once the squad is final — I focus on selecting the best playing XI for each match,” he added.

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Gautam Gambhir comments on future of India-Pakistan cricket ties

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, has stirred the cricketing waters with a strong statement against resuming or continuing cricketing ties with arch-rivals Pakistan, not even at neutral venues.

Speaking at a private event on Tuesday, Gambhir was asked whether India should continue playing Pakistan on neutral grounds amid the renewed spike in cross-border tensions. The former World Cup winner didn’t mince words.

“My personal answer to this is absolutely no,” Gambhir said. “Till all this doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”

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Gautam Gambhir, however, was quick to point out that the final call rests with the Indian government and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“This is not up to me. It’s not in my jurisdiction. It is for the BCCI and, more importantly, the government to decide whether we should play them or not,” he said.

“Whatever decision they make, we should be absolutely fine with it and not politicise it.”

The recent comments of Gautam Gambhir came just days after Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar raised doubts over Pakistan’s participation in the 2025 Asia Cup, citing similar reasons.

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Gavaskar had also claimed that the BCCI has historically followed the Indian government’s directions when it comes to matters involving Pakistan.

“BCCI’s stance has always been what the Government of India tells them to do. So I don’t think it would be any different when it comes to the Asia Cup,” Gavaskar had said.

“If things haven’t changed, I can’t see Pakistan now being part of the Asia Cup.”

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Champions Trophy: Gautam Gambhir shuts down claims of India’s ‘advantage’ in Dubai

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has hit back at claims that his side enjoys a home-like advantage in Dubai, dismissing the notion as baseless following his side’s commanding five-wicket win over Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final.

India, the 2013 champions, became the first team to secure a spot in the final after outclassing Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. However, questions have been raised about whether the conditions gave them an unfair edge.

“Even if this tournament was played in Pakistan, we would have still gone with two spinners. The idea that we have some kind of edge in Dubai is completely unfounded,” said Gautam Gambhir while addressing the media after the match.

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He further emphasized that India hadn’t even trained at the Dubai International Stadium, instead preparing at the ICC Cricket Academy, which has completely different conditions.

“Tell me, when and where has India played a tournament under these current Dubai conditions? I can’t remember,” he argued, taking a direct swipe at the critics.

Dismissing the ongoing debate, Gambhir made it clear that India’s success had nothing to do with external factors.

“Dubai’s pitches don’t favour us in any special way. Our players have delivered in every department of the game because of their skill and hunger to win,” he asserted.

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He also took a shot at how performances are often judged purely on stats.

“As journalists, you look at numbers. We focus on a player’s impact. Scoring big runs doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t influence the match outcome,” he explained.

With India now just one step away from clinching the title, Gambhir remained focused on the bigger picture.

“The job isn’t done yet; there’s still one crucial match to win,” he reminded.

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