India head coach Gambhir clashes with ground staff during pitch inspection

He gets into a heated exchange with Surrey's head of ground staff Lee Fortis, who asks him to keep a distance from the wicket

India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into a heated exchange with Surrey's head of ground staff Lee Fortis, who asked him to keep a distance from the wicket while inspecting the pitch at the Oval, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said on Tuesday.

Visitors India are set to play their last Test of the five-match series against England from Thursday at Surrey County Cricket Club's stadium, with the hosts leading 2-1.

Gambhir appeared to raise his finger as he spoke to ground staff, with media reports saying the coach told Fortis not to tell him what to do.

"When we went to see the wicket ... they sent someone to tell us to stay 2.5 metres away from the pitch, which was a little surprising," Kotak told a press conference.

"It's a cricket wicket, there's a five-day Test starting the day after, and we were wearing joggers. So it was a bit awkward.

"We all know that curators are a little over-protective ... but at the end of the day it's a cricket pitch, not an antique that you can't touch."

Fortis downplayed the incident when he spoke to a group of journalists.

"There's nothing more to add ... we have nothing to hide here," he said.

Surrey did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

Kotak said the India players and staff had taken care not to cause any damage to the playing surface during their practice session earlier on Tuesday.

Heated verbal exchanges have added to the tension between the teams in a competitive series where India, who secured a draw in the fourth Test, need a win at the Oval to end the tour on level terms.