Haddin Calls for "Attitude Adjustment" from Gill After India's Test Defeat

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has challenged India's Test captain Shubman Gill to reassess his leadership approach following India's recent five-wicket defeat to England in the first Test 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 substandard fielding. The team missed eight crucial catches across both innings, ultimately enabling England to chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding errors proved costly, particularly in the case of England opener Ben Duckett, who was dropped in both innings. Duckett capitalized on these chances, scoring 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. His outstanding 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 suggested a potential link between the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and the team's diminished 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.

Despite India's strong batting performance in posting competitive totals in both innings, the pace attack, even with Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make a significant impact, further exacerbated 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. Addressing their fielding concerns will be crucial for the team to level the series.

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