Gill’s Maiden ODI Captaincy Ends in Perth Loss

Shubman Gill’s maiden ODI captaincy ended in a rain‑curtailed seven‑wicket defeat in Perth after India were reduced to 136/9 following a top‑order collapse. Virat Kohli returned but fell for a duck, Rohit Sharma failed to make an impact, KL Rahul top‑scored with 38 and debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy provided an unbeaten 19 that Ravichandran Ashwin called a rare positive. India managed only three Australian wickets while bowling, renewing concerns about a lack of genuine wicket‑taking options and prompting calls to recall wrist‑spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Former players and pundits including Ashwin, Mohammad Kaif, Irfan Pathan, Sunil Gavaskar and Zaheer Khan urged selection or tactical changes — such as giving Nitish more overs, accommodating Kuldeep, or adjusting Harshit Rana’s lengths — ahead of the next ODI in Adelaide. The debate now centers on whether management will favour extra batting depth or bring in a specialist attacking bowler. Separately, in the Women's World Cup India lost narrowly to England, with Harmanpreet Kaur calling Smriti Mandhana’s dismissal the turning point and urging urgent improvement for the next match.