Haddin to Gill: Adjust Attitude or India's Fielding Woes Will Persist After Test Loss

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

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

The defeat, despite India boasting five centurions throughout the match, was largely blamed on a lackluster fielding performance. The team dropped eight crucial catches across both innings, ultimately enabling England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding errors proved particularly detrimental in the case of England opener Ben Duckett, who was dropped in both innings. Duckett capitalized on these opportunities, scoring a remarkable 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. Duckett's stellar performance earned him the Player of the Match award and propelled England to 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 keeper also alluded to potential issues arising from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, hinting at a correlation between the tournament and the perceived 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.

The Indian team's subpar fielding overshadowed their batting performance, 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 and was further hampered by the missed opportunities in the field.

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

England has already 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 upon their early advantage in the series.