India Test captain Shubman Gill came to the defense of his head coach Gautam Gambhir after a heated exchange occurred in a practice session at The Oval. The incident occurred on Tuesday, the day before the last Test of the series, when Gambhir had an altercation with pitch curator Lee Fortis. Gill referred to the argument as "unnecessary" and stated that Gambhir committed no wrong. He further clarified that coaches were entitled to inspect the pitch prior to a match, and there was no justified reason to prevent them from carrying out the task. Also Read | Oval Pitch Drama: Gambhir vs Fortis Ahead of Final Test What Sparked the Argument The problem arose when Fortis, the pitch curator, instructed the Indian coaching team to keep at least 2.5 metres away from the central pitch square. The rule was enforced despite the fact that the coaches were jogging in joggers or rubber-soled shoes, not cricket spikes, which are notorious for ruining pitches. Gautam Gambhir did not appreciate being instructed about what to do and reacted forcefully. Witnesses reported him saying to the curator, "You do not tell any of us what we need to do… you have no right to tell us. You are just a groundsman, nothing beyond" Later, India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak provided further information. He informed that the plea for maintaining 2.5 metres distance was unusual, particularly because there was just one day remaining until the Test match. "We were in joggers, not spikes. I have never experienced anything like that ever before," Kotak said. He added that some players had cautioned him beforehand that Fortis was not that easy to work with. Although he agreed that it should be taken care of by the curators, Kotak believed that this went a bit too far. Also Read | Shubman Gill nears major Test records at The Oval Gill's Straightforward Response Responding to the question in a press conference, Gill stated, "What happened yesterday was unnecessary. The coach has every right to look at the wicket." He further added that there had been no such issues in the previous four games of the series. Gill further added, "As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or you go barefooted, I don't see why there would be a problem. I don't know why the curator would not permit it." This has put additional pressure before the last Test. But with the series in the balance, India will be hoping that there is a swift return to cricket soon.