Risk was way too high: Ben Stokes disappointed after missing 5th Test

As Shubman Gill inspected the pitch on Wednesday afternoon at The Oval, chief curator Lee Fortis stood nearby and was engaged in a chat with Akash Deep and Abhimanyu Easwaran.

A few moments later, as the Indian think-tank — comprising Gill, head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and chief selector Ajit Agarkar — stood near the square, Fortis walked up to them. Following his heated exchange with Gambhir, one would have expected further fireworks.

As the cameras panned towards them, none of them spoke.

While it seemed fine from a distance, the Indian camp wasn’t quite happy with the way things panned out, and when the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy begins on Thursday, it would be all gung-ho about ending the series on a high.