Gill Faces Scrutiny: Aussie Legend Haddin Calls for "Attitude Adjustment" Ahead of Edgbaston Test

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 at Headingley.

India captain Shubman Gill faces pressure to improve team's performance.

The loss, despite India boasting five centurions across both innings, was largely blamed on a subpar fielding performance. The team's eight dropped catches proved critical, allowing England to successfully chase down a target of 371 runs.

India's fielding errors were particularly damaging in the case of England opener Ben Duckett. Duckett, dropped in both innings, capitalized by scoring 211 runs, including a match-winning 149 in the fourth innings. His 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 possible connection between the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and the 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 batting performance, where they posted competitive totals in both innings, was overshadowed by their fielding woes. The pace attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, 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 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 features key players such as Jofra Archer, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes, as they aim to build on their series lead.