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

Haddin Urges Shubman Gill to Adjust Attitude Ahead of Edgbaston Test

Former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin has issued a warning to India's new Test captain, Shubman Gill, urging him to make an "attitude adjustment" following India's recent five-wicket defeat to England. The loss occurred in the first Test match of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy 2025 at Headingley.

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

Despite India having five centurions in the match, their defeat was largely attributed to a subpar fielding performance. The team dropped eight catches across two innings, ultimately enabling England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding errors proved particularly costly in the case of England opener Ben Duckett, who was dropped in both innings. Duckett capitalized on these opportunities, scoring 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and secured 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.

Haddin also highlighted potential issues arising from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, suggesting a possible link between the tournament and 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 being led by Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make a significant impact, further hampered by the dropped catches.

Team India is currently 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 to level the series.

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