India head coach Gautam Gambhir was involved in a heated argument with Lee Fortis, Surrey's head of ground staff, at The Oval over pitch inspection rights. Parthiv Patel supported Gambhir's actions, criticizing Fortis' conduct.

A heated exchange broke out between Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and the head pitch curator of The Oval, Lee Fortis, right in the very first over. The video of their altercation has gone viral across social media platforms,

The heated exchange is the latest flashpoint in a series filled with emotional flare-ups — from Shubman Gill’s displeasure at England’s delayed re-entry at Lord’s, to the standoff at Old Trafford where Ben Stokes and his team bristled after Indian batters refused an early handshake, prioritizing their batting centuries instead.