“It is hard not to see that stuff” - Ben Stokes opens up on Gambhir and Fortis pitch controversy

England captain Ben Stokes has opened up on the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir's involvement in a heated altercation with the Oval pitch curator Lee Fortis ahead of the fifth and final Test, starting on Thursday, July 31.

When asked by a reporter if he was aware of the curator controversy, Stokes stated that he wasn’t part of the nets session on Tuesday, but he added that it was hard not to see that stuff. Notably, Stokes has been ruled out of the fifth Test due to a right shoulder injury.

"This is about yesterday. It's hard not to see that stuff, but I wasn't here, so I don't know what happened,” Stokes told the media.

Furthermore, Stokes also asserted that the Oval surface might offer its support more towards the seamers right from the opening day of the game, as there is more live grass present on the wicket.

"I've been expecting it from Day 1, to be honest. But I'm not going to lie, it looks like a lot more live grass on the wicket than the wickets we've been on. So, I wouldn't be surprised if the assistance is a little bit more for seamers,” he added.

Also, Stokes has opened up about missing the final Test due to an injury. He noted that his absence would provide another player to step up and excel for the nation, adding that the team has 11 match-winners.

"We've got some incredible leaders in the XI. I'm the captain but I seek advice from quite a few people. We've got some fantastic cricket brains out there. We've got a team of 11 match-winners. One person doesn't win you a game. Just because I'm playing or not playing, doesn't mean we're going to win or lose. We've had people put in some special individual performances throughout this game and this another opportunity for 11 different people to put their hands up and hopefully, win a game for England,” he concluded.

England playing XI for fifth Test vs India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue.

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