Haddin Tells Gill to 'Adjust Attitude' After India's Fielding Woes in First Test

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin has called on India's new Test captain, Shubman Gill, to make an "attitude adjustment" following India's five-wicket loss to England in the first Test match of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy 2025 at Headingley.

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

The defeat, despite India having five centurions in the match, was largely attributed to poor fielding, with the team dropping eight catches across two innings. This allowed England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs. India's fielding lapses proved particularly costly in the case of England opener Ben Duckett, who was dropped in both innings and went on to score 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. Duckett's performance earned him the Player of the Match award and helped England take 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 to start to leave now on this team. He needs an attitude adjustment," Haddin said while speaking on the Willow Talk podcast.

The former Australian keeper also pointed to potential issues stemming from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, suggesting a connection between the tournament and the declining 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.

The Indian team's fielding performance overshadowed their batting display, where they managed to post competitive totals in both innings. The pace attack, despite having spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make an impact and was further hampered by the dropped catches.

Team India is now preparing for the second Test match scheduled to take place at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham from July 2-6, 2025. The team will need to address their fielding concerns to level the series.

England has announced their squad for the second Test, with Ben Stokes continuing as captain. The squad includes key players like Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes, among others, as they look to build on their advantage in the series.