Haddin Slams Gill's Attitude After India's Test Defeat, Cites Fielding Woes

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

Shubman Gill under pressure to improve team performance.

The loss, despite India showcasing strong batting with five centurions, was largely blamed on a subpar fielding performance. The team dropped eight catches across both innings, ultimately allowing England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

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

The former Australian keeper also suggested that the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 may 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, highlighting the importance of mental fortitude in fielding.

The Indian team's lackluster fielding overshadowed their otherwise commendable batting performance, where they posted competitive totals in both innings. The pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make a significant impact and was 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 its fielding concerns to level the series.

England has already announced its squad for the second Test, with Ben Stokes continuing as captain. Key players like Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes are included in the squad, as they aim to extend their lead in the series.