Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola is headed to the 15-day injured list with a right ankle sprain, the team announced on Friday.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters that Nola's right ankle sprain occurred before the team's series against the Cleveland Guardians, which started on May 9. Thomson said that Nola sprained his ankle while doing agility work in the outfield, via Luke Arcaini.

It sounds like the Phillies are putting Nola on the IL for precautionary reasons, as Thomson said Nola's sprain is "getting better," but the team doesn't want to push it. They want him to feel 100% before returning to the starting rotation.

This is the first time Nola's been on the IL since 2017. Thomson doesn't believe Nola will be away from the team longer than the 15 days scheduled.

Through nine starts this year so far, Nola has posted a 6.16 ERA, a career-worst for him. He's pitched 49.2 innings and thrown 52 strikes, walked 16 batters and has had 59 hits on him.

To fill his spot in the rotation, the Phillies are giving Mick Abel his first MLB start on Sunday vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates and Paul Skenes. Abel is one of the organization's top prospects and currently plays on the Triple A Lehigh Valley team. He will head back to Triple A after his Sunday start as Taijuan Walker is expected to rejoin the starting rotation next week.

Milwaukee Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski was brilliant in his major league debut on Thursday night against the St. Louis Cardinals, as the flamethrower went five innings without allowing a hit.

Misiorowski took the mound in the sixth to continue his no-hit bid, but after throwing three straight balls to Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott, Misiorowski rolled his ankle between pitches as he walked back to the mound.

Misiorowski left the game as a precaution, but not before going five-plus innings, allowing no hits while recording five strikeouts and four walks. He also threw 14 pitches of at least 100 miles per hour.

Misiorowski told reporters after the game that he was cramping up which caused him to roll his ankle, but that he's O.K. and isn't dealing with anything serious after his first start.

The Brewers went on to win 6–0.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is in the market for attacking quality and could now turn to a Premier League star who is high up on his shortlist at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City leave it late to see off Leeds United

Despite sitting at opposite ends of the table, Manchester City dug deep to see off Daniel Farke’s Leeds United in a dramatic clash on Saturday afternoon that helped to narrow the gap on Arsenal and Chelsea in the top-flight standings.

Phil Foden’s early and late strikes were enough to seal the deal. However, Guardiola will be frustrated at surrendering a two-goal lead when it appeared his side were in cruise control.

Either way, Foden made it clear that he and his teammates were ‘delighted’ with the end result as the Citizens avoided dropping points in back-to-back fixtures after the conclusion of the international break.

He said: “When there was a short break, the manager got us together, and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half-chances, and finally, I’ve found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net.

“There are still things we can improve. We’re delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There are always ups and downs and periods where you can’t seem to get going, and we’ve had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end.”

For some, an overreliance on Erling Haaland is something Manchester City need to be cautious of moving forward, hence they may now make a move to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as he is available for £65 million.

Looking to scale up in all areas, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson could be at the centre of a transfer battle between the Citizens and Manchester United. In other news, he isn’t the only player Guardiola is willing to fight over.

Manchester City have Everton's Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist

According to Foot Mercato, Manchester City have Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye high on their shortlist after his excellent start to life in the Premier League this campaign.

Scoring four times and notching an assist in 15 matches across all competitions, the Senegal international is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, with the trio all keen to bolster their frontline once the transfer window opens.

Man City now frontrunners to sign "world-class" £80m star, Pep's a big fan

There has been a new update on City’s pursuit of a new forward, who Pep Guardiola has dubbed “extraordinary”.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 27, 2025

Labelled “top drawer” by Jamie O’Hara, initial contact has been made for the Rouen-born man as Guardiola steps up his hunt for invention, even if Ndiaye is unlikely to be an out-and-out alternative to Haaland.

Over a long Premier League season, his ability to operate almost anywhere in a front four is a commodity most managers would love to have, especially given he has created 15 chances in the top-flight circa 2025/26, per Fotmob. Based on that, it’s perhaps no wonder previous reports have suggested he is valued at £70m.

Now, it remains to be seen whether they can push a deal over the line as Guardiola seeks reinforcements in order to further Manchester City’s title challenge.

Manchester City have hit some extraordinary heights under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage. The Spanish coach will go down as one of the greatest managers in the history of the game, and his Citizen side have written themselves into the English and European history books.

Last season, City fell off a proverbial cliff, their four-in-a-row domination of the Premier League coming to an end. They rallied, but it was a campaign to forget about, and many felt that it marked the end of Pep’s illustrious tenure.

But he’s not done yet, rebounding emphatically after signing a two-year contract extension last November. And Guardiola isn’t the only one who is resurgent at the Etihad, with this optimistic new season coinciding with the tentative resurgence of Phil Foden.

Why Foden is improving for Man City

There’s no denying it: Foden fell by the wayside last season. But he’s picked himself back up. The Three Lions superstar still has gears to shift through before he recalls his finest form, but this is an essential comeback, should City hope to reclaim their Premier League title and ensure the peerless Erling Haaland has a strong complementary force in the final third.

He hasn’t found prolific form yet this season, but the 25-year-old is undoubtedly producing more polished and cultured results, having been placed deeper to influence and dictate play.

He has been more convincing in the duel and is seeing more of the ball on average. There is also a clear tactical maturity, Pep’s teachings seeping into Foden’s brain. He might not be the headline stealer at this stage, but Foden is unquestionably operating at a higher level, and City’s wider system are feeling the benefits.

Matches (starts)

28 (20)

9 (8)

Goals

7

1

Assists

2

1

Touches*

43.5

59.4

Accurate passes*

27.0 (89%)

39.7 (89%)

Chances created*

1.5

2.3

Dribbles*

0.5

0.7

Ball recoveries*

2.2

4.1

Tackles + interceptions*

0.8

1.3

Duels (won)*

2.3 (45%)

3.1 (54%)

Foden is one of the best in the Premier League, and he is on his way to reminding everyone of that fact. However, he’s not the only member of City’s squad doing such a thing right now, with his younger countryman emerging as the latest starboy fashioned under Guardiola’s wing.

Man City's homegrown talent is now one of PL's best

Manchester City’s academy is a thing to behold. Truly, the dominant Premier League force have welcomed some of the country’s most exciting talents to the scene, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers are among those plying their trade elsewhere, such is the bloated nature of the club’s youth scene.

But City learn from their mistakes, and when Chelsea came calling for Nico O’Reilly in January, they were flat-out rebuffed in their advances, despite The Athletic’s David Ornstein confirming the interest was very much genuine.

This time last year, the 20-year-old was on the fringes of Guardiola’s outfit. Now, he is emerging as the first-choice left-back for club and country.

He impressed for the Three Lions after making his debut last week, playing 90 minutes against Serbia and then Albania, keeping clean sheets on both counts. As per Sofascore, he lost only one duel across those two clashes, recovering eight balls and completing 92% and 93% of his passes.

Already, he has nailed down a prominent position in City’s first team. Naturally a centre-midfielder, the boss has repeated hisown spectacular trick and redefined his technically sound up-and-comer into a dynamic, inverted full-back. O’Reilly has started seven of the last eight Premier League matches, defending resiliently and getting forward and arcing inward to create overloads and help service Haaland.

Continuing to look at it from a wider scope, the 6 foot 4 star ranks among the top 16% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive carries and touches in the attacking box, and the top 6% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

He’s only going to get better, and given the high regard he is held in by Guardiola and for the Three Lions under Thomas Tuchel, there’s little question that City have found their latest superstar in the making.

It is important, typically, not to overburden up-and-coming prospects. But O’Reilly is different, so cultured and convincing across the various phases of play.

One Man City content creator was left speechless after the club’s recent win over Liverpool, hailing O’Reilly as “our best academy graduate since Phil Foden”.

That might just be the case. Even Roy Keane agrees. The Manchester United legend remarked that the versatile defender “could surprise everybody” by securing a starting berth at the 2026 World Cup next year. Clearly, this is a player becoming one of the best in the Premier League, if not the world.

Perfect for Haaland: Man City can sign Foden 2.0 in "Ballon d'Or level" star

Another Phil Foden-esque talent could elevate Man City’s final third quality even more

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 20, 2025

The international break is finally over and Sunderland return to action in the Premier League this afternoon as they travel to Craven Cottage to take on Fulham.

Regis Le Bris’ side have not played a game since their 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Stadium of Light before the break, and they will be looking to build on that with another positive result against a London-based club.

Despite picking up an excellent point against the Gunners, the Black Cats boss may still look to make some changes to his starting line-up from that match, including dropping centre-forward Wilson Isidor.

Why Sunderland should drop Wilson Isidor

The French marksman has scored four goals in 11 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, per Sofascore, and done so from an xG of 2.49, which shows that he has been efficient in front of goal.

However, the 25-year-old attacker has only scored one goal in his last six outings in the division, after three in the first five matches, per Sofascore, which shows that his form has dropped off slightly.

On top of that, his last two appearances for the Black Cats in the Premier League have left a bit to be desired, as his all round game has been underwhelming.

Minutes

83

63

Shots

3

2

Goals

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Pass accuracy

56%

38%

Ground duels won

1/3

1/5

Aerial duels won

2/3

3/9

As you can see in the table above, the Sunderland marksman struggled when leading the line against both Everton and Arsenal, losing the majority of his ground duels across both matches without providing much in the way of quality on the ball.

His loose passing combined with his lack of end product and physical struggles could see Le Bris take him out of the starting line-up for this clash with Fulham, to provide another player with an opportunity.

With this in mind, the Black Cats head coach should unleash summer signing Brian Brobbey as the starting number nine ahead of Isidor this afternoon.

Why Brian Brobbey should start for Sunderland against Fulham

The obvious reason as to why the Dutch centre-forward should start against Fulham is that he came off the bench to score a brilliant goal against Arsenal before the break.

After coming on for Isidor, who struggled, the 22-year-old attacker showed great quality, composure, and strength to score the equaliser, as shown in the clip above.

The £60k-per-week striker is yet to start a match in the Premier League for the Black Cats, with six appearances off the bench, yet he has already had two major moments in a red and white shirt.

After coming off the bench against Chelsea at the end of October, Brobbey showed terrific pace, strength, and awareness to race onto a ball over the top, hold off Tosin Adarabioyo, and tee up Chemsdine Talbi to score the winner in stoppage time.

This means that the Dutch whiz’s contributions off the bench have earned Sunderland an extra three points in the last three matches, with two extra points won against Chelsea and one against Arsenal.

Brobbey, who U23 scout Antonio Mango described as “a freight-train when dribbling”, has not been given the chance to showcase his quality as a starter in the Premier League, but this clash with Fulham could be the ideal opportunity for Le Fee to do so.

After Isidor’s struggles in recent matches, bringing in the former Ajax marksman to reward him for his exceptional performances off the bench of late could be a good move this afternoon.

Sunderland chief in contact with 14-cap midfielder who Cesc Fabregas "loves"

The Black Cats could land another transfer coup in 2026.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025

Manchester United have now reportedly made contact to sign 18-year-old Salvador Blopa from Sporting CP in an attempt to jump ahead of Real Madrid in the race for his signature.

Those at Old Trafford have kept an eye on the transfer market ever since the summer window slammed shut and with things looking up on the pitch, they could be well-placed to welcome a number of upgrades in 2026.

Ruben Amorim’s side entered the November international break without a defeat in five games, having drawn twice and won three to move up to seventh in the Premier League.

Whilst their wait for five wins in a row is ongoing, there’s no doubt that the Red Devils have taken a significant step. Whether that continues after the international break is the big question.

Man United will play host to Everton in what should be seen as a winnable game at Old Trafford against former manager David Moyes. They then face struggling sides West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in two of their next five games in a run that should see them push on even further.

Amorim’s not getting ahead of himself, however. After rescuing a late draw against Tottenham last time out, he told reporters that his side still have plenty of problems to solve.

It’s a sign of the high standards that the Man United boss holds and INEOS could yet help him to meet those standards by turning to the transfer market once again in 2026.

Man Utd have 'held conversations' to sign Blopa

As relayed by TeamTalk, Man United have now ‘held conversations’ to sign Blopa from Sporting CP and jump ahead of Real Madrid in the transfer race in the process. The 18-year-old can play right midfield, right-back and left midfield as one of the most versatile players that Sporting have to offer.

Out of all those positions, he’d likely solve Amorim’s right wing-back problem. As things stand, it’s Amad Diallo or Noussair Mazraoui in the role, but Blopa’s emergence could quickly cause United a much-welcomed selection headache down that side.

£150,000-a-week La Liga star who Amorim wants is now open to Man Utd move

The Man Utd boss has given the green light.

ByCharlie Smith Nov 15, 2025

The interest from Real Madrid and those at Old Trafford in Blopa should also come as little surprise. The teenager scored twice on his Sporting debut and earned praise from current manager Rui Borges, who told reporters: “Tactically he gave us what we wanted.

“In the B team he sometimes plays on the right and other times on the left, sometimes higher and sometimes lower. He’s a kid with very unique characteristics, athletic, and physically he’s going to grow immensely more.”

The Red Devils have built a reputation of turning Sporting’s stars into world stars and the versatile defender could be next.

Now worth more than Anderson: Man Utd star is the "nearest thing" to Zidane

Sam Fanning and debutant Teague Wyllie both made half-centuries but the home side chases the target with room to spare

AAP20-Oct-2025

Jordan Silk controlled Tasmania’s chase•Getty Images

Tasmania’s perfect start to the One-Day Cup continued with stalwart Jordan Silk top-scored in a four-wicket win against Western Australia.In a Bellerive Oval fixture restricted by rain to a maximum of 44 overs each, WA posted 248 for 9 with Sam Fanning top-scoring with 66 from 91 balls.Tasmania, set 252 runs to win under the DLS system, lost six wickets and reached their target from 38 overs to win with 36 balls to spare.Silk dominated with 81 from 75 deliveries, scoring his 2000th domestic one-day run in the process of Tasmania banking a fourth win from as many outings.Silk, who struck nine fours and a six, and a batch of experienced team-mates were untroubled in the run chase. He combined with fellow veteran Matthew Wade (46 not out from 43 balls) in a defining 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Opener Caleb Jewell set the Tasmanian tone with an aggressive 48 from 37 balls featuring seven fours, and evergreen Ben McDermott made 42 from 49 deliveries.The quartet overpowered WA’s bowling attack with paceman Mahli Beardman the sole multiple wicket-taker.Earlier, WA opener Fanning’s composed knock and an aggressive 56 from 51 balls from one-day debutant Teague Wyllie underpinned the visitor’s total.Fanning and fellow opener Joel Curtis put on 50 runs in eight overs amid early rain interruptions. Curtis, Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman all failed to capitalise on promising starts and when Fanning fell in the 29th over, the visitors were 147 for 4.Allrounders Hilton Cartwright and Ashton Agar were both dismissed in the following 10 overs as Wylie launched at Tasmania’s bowlers.The 21-year-old struck four fours and a six before edging to wicketkeeper McDermott from the bowling of Brad Hope, who impressed with 3 for 40 from seven overs.

شهدت مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي المغربي مساء الجمعة الماضية في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حالة من الفوضى العارمة وقرارات تحكيمية مثيرة للجدل ومقذوفات نارية وكرات ترمى عمداًا على أرض الملعب.

وسلطت “إذاعة مونتي كارلو” الفرنسية الضوء على أحداث مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي، حيث اشتكى المصريون من سوء معاملة خصمهم المغربي.

وأفادت أنه قد تعرض أحد اللاعبين لهجوم بأداة حادة خلال مباراة بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، وقد جرى ذلك في أحد الملاعب التي ستستضيف كأس الأمم الأفريقية بعد ما يزيد قليلاً عن ثلاث أسابيع في المغرب.

وقد تحولت مباراة الأهلي المصري والجيش الملكي المغربي مساء الجمعة الماضية والتي انتهت بنتيجة التعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله إلى لقاء كارثي.

وقد ألغى حكم مباراة الفريقين بين الأهلي والجيش الملكي هدفًا للفريق المضيف، حيث ألقيت مقذوفات على أرض ملعب مولاي الحسن بالرباط، وقد أصابت إحداها “أداة معدنية حادة” وهي تشبه مجرفة البناء، المهاجم المصري تريزيجيه، وقد أصاب هذا الحادث لاعبي الأهلي بالصدمة وحاولوا إحضار هذه الأداة لطاقم تحكيم المباراة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ماركا تسلط الضوء على أحداث مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي: لحظات توتر و”سكين تحت القميص”

وحاول لاعبو الجيش الملكي المغربي بذل قصارى جهدهم لمنع هذه الأداة من الوصول لحكم المباراة، ما أدى لاشتباكات حادة بين لاعبي الفريقين على أرض الملعب، كما ظهر في عدة مقاطع فيديو على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي.

وقد اشتكي المصريون من سوء التحكيم، وتصدرت حادثة غريبة أخرى عناوين الصحف حيث ألقى جامع الكرات كرة ثانية على أرض الملعب لإبطاء اللعب، وتكررت هذه الحادثة عدة مرات، ما أجبر الحكم على إيقاف المباراة وفقاً لـ “AfricaFootUnited”.

وما زال الأهلي يتصدر جدول ترتيب مجموعته الثانية في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بعد التعادل الذي أحرز عن طريق محمود حسن تريزيجيه، ويتساوى في النقاط مع يانج أفريكانز التنزاني.

جدير بالذكر أن ملعب مولاي السن سيستضيف مباريات الجزائر الثلاث في دور المجموعات بكأس أمم إفريقيا المقبلة، ابتداءاً من 24 ديسمبر، بجانب مباراة في دور الـ16 في يناير.

Manchester City are probing in the hunt for reinforcements and could now lodge a record bid for a star who is keen to work under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

Coming back from the international break, the Citizens would’ve been keen to continue their recent winning form in the Premier League as Arsenal and Chelsea continue to push for title glory, though a defeat away to Newcastle United probably wasn’t in the script.

Despite having their fair share of openings, Manchester City couldn’t make them count and were punished by Harvey Barnes, leaving Guardiola’s men third in the table and seven points behind Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

Of course, there is a long way to go before any prizes are handed out. However, Ruben Dias believes the Citizens will recover swiftly after their frustrating defeat, citing Newcastle’s excellent home record as a factor behind the result.

He told BBC Sport: “It was difficult in all ways for both teams. It was a very intense game and chances both sides. We had loads of chances and didn’t score more and we have to do better there. They scored theirs and we have to do better.

“Everyone knows how strong they are at home. First game after internationals is a tricky one and we fought as well as we could. It’s always a period of adaptation. We simply have to do better.”

In the face of a frustrating evening, Manchester City face a swift turnaround before clashes against Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds United this week, offering two chances for redemption after a rude introduction to life after the international break.

With the Premier League title race hotting up, Guardiola may now have an ace up his sleeve as the Citizens look to make up ground with their competitors at the top of English football.

Man City willing to submit record Desire Doue offer

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City are willing to submit a record offer for Desire Doue worth over £158 million and they see him as an ideal solution to provide pace and creativity within their forward line.

Intriguingly, the France international is keen to work with Guardiola due to his ability when developing talent, and contact has already been made with his representatives to try and open lanes to complete a deal.

Five similar players to Desire Doue (FBRef)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Paris Saint-Germain

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich

Bradley Barcola

Paris Saint-Germain

Jamal Musiala

Bayern Munich

Leroy Sane

Galatasaray

Making a solid start to the campaign, Doue has registered three goals and three assists in eight appearances across all competitions, though his contract in Paris is set to run until 2029, meaning his current employers hold the cards in negotiations.

Man City are brewing their own homegrown Erling Haaland

Manchester City appear willing to smash their transfer record to land the man in question and are said to be in an encouraging position, though it remains to be seen whether they can edge themselves past Luis Enrique’s hardball stance to bring in another premium option in the wide areas.

In a contest cut to 26 overs by rain, India couldn’t recover from early trouble against the new ball

Tristan Lavalette19-Oct-2025

Josh Hazlewood struck early to remove Rohit Sharma•Getty Images

Mitchell Marsh spoiled counterpart Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincy debut after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggled in their much-anticipated comeback to international cricket.On a damp day at Optus Stadium, the series-opening ODI was reduced to 26 overs per side with India making 136 for 9, after a series of rain delays frustrated the crowd of 42,423, having slumped to 45 for 4 against impressive new-ball bowling, particularly from Josh Hazlewood.The weather did improve later in the day as Marsh’s unbeaten 46 off 52 balls powered Australia past their revised target of 131 runs in the 22nd over. ODI debutant Matt Renshaw finished 21 not out – almost nine years after he made his Test debut.Related

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Shubman Gill: A big honour for me to lead such legends

There was an expectation that Marsh and fellow opener Travis Head would come out aggressively, but batting was not easy in seaming conditions under lights. Head’s recent patchy form continued after slashing left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh straight to deep third, raising India’s hopes.Marsh played against type initially, scoring just a couple of singles off his first nine deliveries, until muscling Arshdeep for six over the leg-side. With his eye in, he took the aerial route to good effect and was in total command apart from copping a blow to the helmet from a Mohammed Siraj short ball.It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Australia with Matt Short unable to make the most of his chance at No. 3, tamely succumbing on 8 to left-arm spinner Axar Patel who was the standout performer for India with a strong allround effort.Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Philippe did grab his opportunity with a rollicking 37 from 29 balls in his return to the ODI team after four years having earlier performed well with the gloves.It was a disappointing ODI return for India since their Champions Trophy triumph in March. Their batting order was not helped by numerous rain delays as the covers were used for the first time at Optus Stadium since the ground opened in 2018.During the brief passages of play, their top order struggled to handle the back of a length bowling from Australia’s trio of quicks. Much to the disappointment of the many fans wearing blue shirts in the terraces, Rohit made a scratchy 8 while Kohli fared even worse after falling for an eight-ball duck.Josh Philippe made a good impression on his return to the side•Getty ImagesHazlewood utilised the bouncy conditions to menacing effect, bowling 35 dot balls in his brilliant spell of 2 for 20 from seven overs. Left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who was required to operate at the death with Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc bowled out, and ODI debutant Mitchell Owen also claimed two wickets.With menacing clouds forming above, a rarity for cricket games in usually sun-baked Perth, Marsh had no hesitation to bowl despite very little grass on the surface.Kohli has particularly fond memories of Optus Stadium having produced one of his greatest Test tons on the ground in 2018 and he also made his final Test century there last year.Having shown no signs of rust during India’s net session ahead of the match, Kohli was pinned down by the accuracy of Hazlewood and Starc, who suckered him into a drive to catch the outside edge that was brilliantly caught at backward point by Cooper Connolly.In likely his last game in Perth, Kohli received a standing ovation from some fans on his way to the sheds as India slumped further after Rohit had earlier been deceived by Hazlewood’s sharp bounce and nicked to second slip.KL Rahul top-scored for India amid the rain•Getty ImagesA lean looking Rohit had showed off his fitness with a quick single to get off the mark. However, other than a gorgeous straight drive, he looked sluggish much like his struggles in recent days in the nets.The pressure fell on Gill and hopes were high that he could replicate his outstanding start to his Test captaincy, which has yielded five tons from 13 innings.Less than a week after leading India in their Test win over West Indies, Gill showed trademark class to punch a boundary down the ground off Hazlewood before having to fight hard against probing new ball bowling.Having seen off Starc, Gill’s debut captaincy knock ended with a whimper on 10 after he tickled down the leg side to gift Nathan Ellis a first ball wicket.India were probably relieved by the persistent drizzle and for the first time since 1983 an ODI in Perth was shortened due to rain.During a brief resumption, Shreyas Iyer gloved a well-directed short delivery from Hazlewood to the alert Philippe to leave India 45 for 4.Further rain delays truncated the overs as Axar and KL Rahul on resumption had no choice but to stand and deliver. The pro-India crowd, muted for much of the day, suddenly came alive until Axar holed out to hand Kuhnemann his first wicket on home soil.Despite consecutive sixes from Rahul, India fell away at the back end other than a very late flourish from Nitish Reddy in his ODI debut but it proved not nearly enough.