Haddin Urges Gill to Fix 'Attitude' After India's Fielding Collapse; IPL Blamed for Dropped Catches

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 of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy 2025. The match, held at Headingley, saw India surrender a strong position despite multiple centuries.

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

The loss has been largely attributed to India's sub-par fielding performance. The team dropped eight catches across both innings, a costly error that allowed England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding woes 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. His stellar 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.

Haddin also highlighted the potential impact of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on the team's performance, suggesting a possible link between the tournament and the declining standards of catching.

"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, which saw them post competitive totals in both innings, the pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, struggled to make a significant impact. The dropped catches further compounded their struggles.

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 address their fielding concerns urgently if they hope to level the series.

England has already announced their squad for the second Test, with Ben Stokes continuing to lead the team. The squad includes key players such as Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes, all eager to build on their initial success in the series.