Haddin Slams Shubman Gill's Attitude After India's Fielding Woes in First Test

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

India captain Shubman Gill

The loss, despite India boasting five centurions across both innings, has been largely attributed to a disappointing fielding display. The team dropped eight catches, ultimately enabling England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's costly errors in the field were particularly evident 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 was named Player of the Match, helping England secure 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.

Team India prepares for the second Test against England at Edgbaston

Haddin also suggested the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 could be contributing to the declining fielding 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 lackluster fielding overshadowed their strong batting performance. Despite having a formidable pace attack led by Jasprit Bumrah, they struggled to make a significant impact, further hampered by the dropped catches.

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 will need to urgently address their fielding concerns to level the series.

England has already announced their squad for the second Test, with Ben Stokes remaining as captain. Key players such as Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes are included in the squad, aiming to build on their series lead.