The tourists kept the hosts on the field for 143 overs in their second innings, despite the draw being inevitable in the end, as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar secured centuries.<\/p>\n
Why has the England-India series been so tense?<\/p>\n
Tensions spiked at the end of the fourth Test when India allowed Jadeja and Sundar to complete their centuries after England captain Ben Stokes offered to shake hands on a draw.<\/p>\n
There was also a finger-pointing incident<\/a> during the third Test at Lord\u2019s in London, when England opener Zak Crawley irked the Indians, who believed he was time-wasting at the end of the third day.<\/p>\n Crawley and opening partner Ben Duckett had a tricky two-over spell to navigate before stumps, but the former stood away from his crease on fourth occasions in the opening over before Jasprit Bumbrah could bowl.<\/p>\n The Kent batter also called for the physio, resulting in only one over being bowled before the close and India captain Shubman Gill confronting Crawley about his actions.<\/p>\n As if the series wasn\u2019t already enduring heightened emotions, India coach Gautim Gambhir was embroiled in an incident with the head groundsman at the Oval.<\/p>\n Video footage showed Gambhir in a confrontation with Lee Fortis, Surrey County Cricket Club\u2019s lead curator at the Oval in south London.<\/p>\n Fortis was understood to have been keeping a protective eye on the square during India\u2019s training session.<\/p>\n Gambhir, a 58-Test veteran, was seen wagging his finger as Fortis looked on, stating, \u201cYou can\u2019t tell us what to do\u201d and \u201cYou don\u2019t tell any of us what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Gambhir could also be heard adding, \u201cYou\u2019re just the groundsman, nothing beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n After walking away in conversation with India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who appeared to take on the role of mediator, Fortis told Gambhir he may be forced to lodge a complaint against him, drawing a response of, \u201cYou can go and report to whoever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n Kotak later told reporters that Fortis\u2019s objections to a cooler being wheeled onto the square kicked off the spat.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was sitting on the roller, he shouted and told the support staff not to take it there,\u201d Kotak said. \u201cIt is good to be a little possessive, and it is also good to be protective, but not that much. Gautam just said, \u2018Do not talk to the support staff like this.’\u201d<\/p>\n Kotak added, \u201cAt the end of the day, it is a cricket pitch. It is not an antique where you can\u2019t touch.\u201d<\/p>\n Gill added, \u201cWhat happened yesterday, I thought, is just absolutely unnecessary. I mean, it\u2019s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket.\u201d<\/p>\n How has Gill been rated as India captain?<\/p>\n Captaincy appears to be doing wonders for the career of previously inconsistent India batsman Shubman Gill.<\/p>\n The elegant 25-year-old scored his fourth century of an extraordinary debut series as skipper at Old Trafford.<\/p>\n He came in with the tourists in dire straits at 0-2 in their second innings, responding with a marathon 103 in 238 balls that laid the foundations for a great escape.<\/p>\n Gill has set a new record for the most runs scored by an India batsman in a series against England of 722, surpassing teammate Yashasvi Jaiswal\u2019s tally of 712 in 2023\/24.<\/p>\n At the Oval, he could eclipse Sunil Gavaskar\u2019s all-time India series record of 774 runs, set in a four-match campaign against the West Indies in 1971.<\/p>\n England captain Stokes has been ruled out of the Test with a right shoulder injury.<\/p>\n Ollie Pope, who bats at three, will replace Stokes as skipper, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Stokes said he expects to be sidelined for up to seven weeks, which should in no way impact his participation in this winter\u2019s Ashes series in Australia. But he felt it was clearly too risky playing one more Test against India.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is one of those of weighing up the risk-reward, and the risk was way too high for damaging this any further than it currently is,\u201d he said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t expect to put any of my players at risk with an injury like this. Once this series is done, I was feet up anyway [so] it doesn\u2019t really make too much difference to what I\u2019ve got from the end of the series up until the winter.\u201d<\/p>\n England must also decide whether to risk express paceman Jofra Archer, who has bowled nearly 90 overs in two Tests after more than four years of injury-enforced exile.<\/p>\n The home team took just four wickets on a flat Old Trafford pitch during India\u2019s battling second innings, with seamer Brydon Carse also worked hard.<\/p>\n Jamie Overton has been added to an England squad that already has extra pace options in Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson.<\/p>\n India team news<\/p>\n India will be without vice-captain and prolific runscorer Rishabh Pant, who sustained a foot fracture in Manchester.<\/p>\n Jasprit Bumrah\u2019s back injury earlier this year prompted India to announce the fast bowler would only feature in three games during the current series.<\/p>\n The world\u2019s top-ranked Test bowler made his third appearance on a docile pitch in Manchester and has little time to recover after bowling a gruelling 33 overs, during which he took two wickets.<\/p>\n But India coach Gautam Gambhir says all of his squad\u2019s quicks are fit for the finale, including Akash Deep, who took 10 wickets in Bumrah\u2019s absence during India\u2019s 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston before suffering a groin injury in the next match at Lord\u2019s.<\/p>\n The Oval curator breaks silence! <\/p>\n \u2022 Lee Fortis, The Oval’s chief curator, speaks out Reports \ud83d\udcfd\ufe0f @Sahil_Malhotra1<\/a> \ud83c\udfcf<\/p>\n Full coverage \ud83d\udc47https:\/\/t.co\/hQdu24zKye<\/a>#GautamGambhir<\/a> #INDvsENG<\/a>\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Nltx1tvmk9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 TOI Sports (@toisports) July 29, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Shubman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2224801878-1752343041.jpg\")
Shubman Gill of India interacts with Zak Crawley of England in the final over of the day during Day Three of the third Test at Lord\u2019s Cricket Ground [Alex Davidson\/Getty Images]What happened between Gambhir and the Surrey groundsman at the Oval?<\/p>\n![\"England's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2227009195-1753872351.jpg\")
Oval head groundsman Lee Fortis, right, with England and Surrey\u2019s Gus Atkinson, who is in contention for a start at his home ground [Ben Whitley\/PA Images via Getty Images]<\/p>\n![\"England](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2227681980-1753888653.jpg\")
England captain Ben Stokes with coach Brendon McCullum during a net session [Gareth Copley\/Getty Images]England team news<\/p>\n
\u2022 Opens up on fiery exchange with Gautam Gambhir
\u2022 What triggered the confrontation?<\/p>\n