Gill Needs 'Attitude Adjustment' to Fix Fielding Woes, Warns Aussie Legend Haddin Ahead of Edgbaston Test

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

Shubman Gill leading the Indian team.

The loss, despite India posting five centuries during the match, was largely due to a poor fielding display. The team dropped eight catches across both innings, enabling England to successfully chase a target of 371 runs.

India's costly fielding errors particularly affected England opener Ben Duckett. Dropped in both innings, Duckett went on to score 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award and secured a 1-0 lead for England 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 highlighted potential issues stemming 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 an impact and was further 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 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 series lead.