Coach Has Every Right To Look At Pitch, Curator's Action Unnecessary

India captain Shubman Gill threw his weight behind Gautam Gambhir following his fiery exchange with The Oval's chief curator Lee Fortis, firmly asserting that the India coach was well within his rights to inspect the square.

- AGENCIES

During India's training session on Tuesday, Fortis, according to batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, asked the Indian coaching staff to stay 2.5 metres away from the main pitch square, despite them not wearing spikes, prompting frustration from the visiting camp.

Gambhir was heard saying, "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."

When Gill was asked about the tiff on the eve of the final Test, the skipper replied: "What happened yesterday was unnecessary."

"If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres from behind, that is not something that has happened to us before.