Haddin Calls for 'Attitude Adjustment' from Gill After India's Fielding Woes in First Test

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has urged India's new Test captain, Shubman Gill, to make an "attitude adjustment" following India's recent defeat to England in the first Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy 2025. The loss, by five wickets, occurred at Headingley.

India captain Shubman Gill (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Despite India boasting five centurions in the match, their performance was marred by poor fielding. The team dropped eight catches across both innings, enabling England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding errors proved particularly costly with England opener Ben Duckett. Dropped in both innings, Duckett went on to score 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. Duckett's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award and gave England a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

"Every great team, no matter what year you're playing, the one standout feature they've always had is that they've been a great fielding team. And I think that is one legacy Gill has start to leave now on this team. He needs an attitude adjustment," Haddin stated on the Willow Talk podcast.

The former Australian wicketkeeper also suggested a possible link between the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and the decline in catching standards.

"If you want to field well and compete the whole time, it's only attitude. You can do all your technical work off the field and have as many coaches as anyone, but it won't matter. Even in the IPL this year, the catching was horrible. And that could be a byproduct," Haddin added.

While the Indian team's batting display saw them post competitive totals in both innings, their pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to capitalize, hampered by the dropped catches.

Team India is now preparing for the second Test match, scheduled to be held at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham from July 2-6, 2025. The team must address their fielding concerns if they hope to level the series.

England has already announced their squad for the second Test, with Ben Stokes continuing as captain. The squad features key players such as Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes, as they aim to build on their series lead.