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Five days on from their overtime win over the Breakers, the 36ers got the job done in regulation with an 88-78 victory at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre in front of a crowd 5,706 on Wednesday night.

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Giddey showed why NBA scouts are watching his every move, the 18-year-point guard going within two assists of his first professional triple-double, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Humphries was the main beneficiary of Giddey’s passing, scoring 21 points, his third straight game with at least 20 points, while he also controlled the defensive end with four blocks.

Captain Daniel Johnson (17 points), Tony Crocker (14) and Sunday Dech (11) were among five 36ers in double figures.

Corey Webster threatened to steal the game with back-to-back three pointers to close the margin to 73-77, but the 36ers – who led at every break – successfully closed out the game to move to 3-2 for the season ahead of Saturday night’s game with the Sydney Kings.

Young guns bounce off each other

Emerging star Giddey’s combination with Humphries is going to be a nightmare for opposition teams to defend all season. Time and time again, Giddey and Humphries worked beautifully in tandem in the half-court, the big man setting screens, rolling to the bucket and receiving the ball back near the rim. Giddey’s game is developing nicely as NBA scouts carefully note the Next Star’s all-round skillset. Humphries left the NBL a developing big and, after his NBA chance, returns a complete centre. If he continues this form, another call up to the big league looms.

Holy guacamole, Webster returns in style

After an avocado-related knife through the hand delayed Corey Webster’s NBL campaign, the Breakers star turned it on the fourth quarter. Webster – who made his return on the bench – hit back-to-back three pointers late in the game to keep the visitors within reach. Webster will only get better for the game, as will his potent back-court combination with younger brother Tai. The Webster brothers combined for 32 points, while Finn Delany led the Breakers with 19 points.

Sloan calls home after long-range bomb

36ers guard Donald Sloan whipped out the phone call celebration for the second game in a row after another clutch three pointer. With the clock winding down in the third quarter, Sloan dribbled the ball over the half-court line and let it fly. Nothing. But. Net. The sensational long-range shot came five days after Sloan drained a three-pointer to send Friday night’s game against the Breakers into overtime.

Delany makes DJ pay with rare five-point play

36ers captain Daniel Johnson lost his cool with a bump on Breakers forward Finn Delany that was deemed to be an unsportsmanlike foul near the end of the second quarter. Delany hit the two free throws along with a three-pointer for a five-point play from the possession, turning an 11-point deficit into a 39-33 game at halftime. Johnson’s frustrations had boiled over after the undersized Delany got away with holding, pushing and shoving when trying to defend the 36ers’ leading scorer.

Fate back in their hands after an earlier favour from rivals the Renegades, the Stars (6-177) were edged by a Sixers outfit who deservedly sealed top spot with victory on the second-last ball at the MCG on Tuesday night.

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Requiring all four points to squeeze into the top-five on net run rate, Glenn Maxwell’s side fell at the first hurdle when they conceded the ‘bash boost’ point at the halfway point of the Sixers chase.

Maxwell’s 66 off 41 balls had propelled the Stars to a competitive score, but their total of just 72 after 10 overs meant the Sixers could easily chase the bonus point and with it, first place on the BBL table.

Ben Dwarshuis (3-27) was the pick of the Sixers bowlers while James Vince (46 off 32) and skipper Moises Henriques (38 off 29) were instrumental in sealing the crucial extra point on offer.

The Stars, who have finished runner-up in the past two seasons, will miss their first finals series since 2017-18 while the Sixers will play the Perth Scorchers in a double-chance ‘qualifier’ final on Saturday night.

While they have earned the right to host the final, border restrictions have forced both Sydney sides to host finals outside of NSW.

A Cricket Australia release on Tuesday night said both clubs have nominated Canberra’s Manuka Oval as their preferred alternative.

HILTON’S GREATEST HITS

Hilton Cartwright has had a solid BBL10 campaign in the lower middle order for the Stars, and saved his best ‘finisher’ form for Tuesday night.

Having ticked along to 20 off 15 balls, Cartwright launched three of the last four balls of the Stars’ innings into the crowd.

The last, a low Jake Ball full toss on leg stump, was smashed into the second tier of the Olympic Stand.

STARC’S FINALS RETURN UNKNOWN

Mitchell Starc’s possible return for the Sixers’ finals campaign was still unknown on Tuesday night.

The Sixers confirmed that Starc, who was sent for hamstring scans late week, had since undergone scans for a knee complaint after soreness following the recently-concluded Test series against India.

They hoped to provide an update on Wednesday.

FINCH’S PHILIPPE RAP

After his side’s win over the Hurricanes, Renegades skipper Aaron Finch single out Josh Philippe as one young player to play a role in Australia’s upcoming T20 tour of New Zealand.

“There’s a lot of players who have put their hand up through some great performances,” Finch said.

“To see Josh Philippe up second on the runscorer’s table, Tanveer Sangha the way he’s gone about it as well. They’re all names that will get thrown up, no doubt.”

GADES’ RAMBO DREW FIRST BLOOD FOR STARS

Warnie says he looks like Rambo with his headband and the Melbourne Renegades’ Karate Kid Zak Evans has produced a stunning bowling spell to spectacularly bundle the Hobart Hurricanes out of the Big Bash.

Come-from-the-clouds seamer Evans’ incredible spell of 5/33 made the Renegades’ total of 5-150 a winning one — and gave cross-town rival Melbourne Stars a fighting chance of making the Big Bash Finals.

The Gades’ were spurred on by Stars captain Glenn Maxwell, who tweeted his support during the match, aware that his side, in order to squeeze into the finals on net run rate, required the Hurricanes to lose and then needed to defeat Sydney Sixers and claim the bash boost.

The Hurricanes, themselves, required victory to secure finals action after an earlier Brisbane Heat win pushed them outside the top five.

But in failing to chase the Renegades’ 5-150 at the MCG, Matthew Wade’s side were consigned to a first season without finals action since 2016-17.

After opting to bowl first on Tuesday afternoon, the Hurricanes stamped their authority early and reduced the Renegades to 4-49 following the key wickets of Aaron Finch (6) and Shaun Marsh (12).

But fighting knocks from Beau Webster (54 not out off 35) and Mackenzie Harvey (40 off 37) propelled the home side from a vulnerable position to a respectable total.

The Hurricanes started brightly in response but had the brakes pulled when Wade and McDermott departed inside the power play.

A steadying D’Arcy Short and Dawid Malan partnership took the Hurricanes to 2-70, but regular wickets amongst some superb Renegades fielding made the Hurricanes’ task increasingly difficult, and they fell short of the 22 runs required off the final over.

Breakout star Evans (5-33) was the standout for the Renegades, while fellow surprise packet Peter Hatzoglou (1-24) again shone in bowling the innings’ most difficult overs.

TITLE MUST WAITS

The Hurricanes, along with the Stars, are the only two clubs to have never lifted the BBL trophy.

Runners-up in 2013-14 and 2017-18, the men in purple had appeared a genuine title hope after Wade returned to the squad bolstered an already in-form bowling unit.

But after 10 seasons, the BBL trophy won’t be travelling over the Bass Strait, as the Hurricanes missed the finals for the first time in four seasons.

YOUNGSTERS SHINE

Victory on the final day was a rare positive moment in an otherwise difficult season for the Renegades.

Perhaps most pleasingly for fans, it was young players who stood up in the game’s tension-filled moments.

It was 20-year-olds Evans and Harvey who played starring roles, alongside one of the season’s best stories in 22-year-old Hatzoglou.

Evans was crunched for a six and a four by Wade, before dismissing the discarded Test man and dominating the match from there.

KLINGER IN THE GUN

Despite the final day win, another tough season has left a big question mark over Klinger’s future at the club.

Appointed at the start of BBL09 after the resignation of title-winning coach Andrew McDonald, Klinger has not only overseen back-to-back wooden spoons, but the two biggest ever losses by runs in BBL history this season (by 145 and 129 respectively).

At this stage, he remains contracted for next season.

MARNUS MARVEL BOOKS HEAT FINALS SPOT

Man for all occasions Marnus Labuschagne hauled Brisbane Heat into the BBL finals with clutch wickets and key runs in a thrilling, six-run win against Perth in Adelaide.

Chris Lynn (51, 25) and Labuschagne (46, 38) had propelled the Heat to a 7/181 total – setting Perth the second highest BBL successful run chase at Adelaide Oval. Test No.3 Labuschagne, who wants to excel across all formats for Australia, put on crucial stands of 58 with Lynn and 56 with Lewis Gregory (36, 23).

A late assault from Mitch Marsh (54, 26 balls), helped by a dropped chance from Max Bryant off Mark Steketee, saw Perth (6/175) needing 17 off the final over. However, too much had been left for Marsh and Jhye Richardson (13, 7) who were united at 6/126 in the 17th over.

Labuschagne’s four overs of leg-spin (3-35) tripped up Perth removing Colin Munro (7) and keeper-batsman Josh Inglis (12) before deceiving Ashton Turner (0). Aaron Hardie’s run out in the 17th over left Perth with 56 required off 21 balls.

Brisbane’s four point bounty secured a first finals slot in four years and proved cathartic after Australia’s shock Test series loss to India.

“I love the game and think the quick change of format just gives me that clarity of mind. You probably don’t overthink it as much what happened in that Test series,” Labuschagne, Australia’s most consistent batsman against India with 426 runs this Test summer at 53.25, said after his man-of-the-match effort.

“It is nice to come back to Big Bash (after the series loss to India), a little bit of colour, a nice competition to be part of.”

The leg-spin of Labuschagne and Swepson (2-20) unravelled Perth in contrast to counterpart Fawad Ahmed who conceded 0-52.

“I am happy with any wickets I get,” Labuschagne said.

“It was just making sure me and Sweppo had the right plan.

“I think we are a big threat. It is exciting for us to get in there.

“It is an exciting thing for us going into the finals. We haven’t put the perfect game in and we snuck in.”

SCORCHED

The Scorchers are fortunate to have gun imports Liam Livingstone (32, 22) and Jason Roy (41, 32) opening with the most partnership runs this BBL. It all fell apart for Perth after a 53-run opening stand in 37 balls.

The top-ranked Scorchers were comfortably in the finals but Brisbane kept its season alive with an upset, bonus-point triumph. Perth’s loss could cost a home grand final.

MISERLY

Lynn introduced veteran seamer Ben Laughlin in the sixth over with Perth 0/49. Perth would add just 47 runs and lose five wickets over the next eight game-changing overs with Laughlin, Mitch Swepson (2-20) and Labuschagne impacting through scoreboard pressure.

COSTLY

Scorchers skipper Ashton Turner surprised by granting leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed four overs which ended in his most expensive BBL figures (0-52) and difficult run chase. There was little variation or spin from the Pakistan refugee granted asylum by Australia.

CAMEO-SANITY

Livingstone is an impressive if underrated leg-spin option who was underestimated by Lynn (51). The Brisbane skipper had bullied Perth’s attack from the outset but hit against the spin and lofted a swirler to Hardie.

The innings was trademark Lynnsanity, belligerent, exhilarating stroke play with the opposition relying on the opener to get himself out.

Brisbane wanted a ton from its inspirational leader chasing a bonus point win but Lynn has 420 runs a league high 42 average this season and sizzling 157.3 strike rate.

Lynn exploded with four fours and four sixes including a massive strike off Richardson into the second deck of the eastern stand. Fawad (0-52) was glad to see the back of Lynn having conceded 36 from his opening two overs.

ONE EYE ON SOUTH AFRICA

Labuschagne will front for his adopted country, Australia, on a maiden Test tour of his birth nation next month in South Africa. Labuschagne notched a ton on his first one-day tour of South Africa last year but a Test series there is special.

“I love Test cricket, it is always exciting when you get to play against the best opposition,” said Labuschagne ahead of a series Australia must win to make the ICC Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.

“We have just played against one of the best oppositions. To go to South Africa and have to win there is an exciting challenge and I am really looking forward it.”

TOUGH DAY AT THE OFFICE

Seamer Mark Steketee (0-54) had an off day against the Heat but is second on the BBL wicket tally with 22 this season.

Labuschagne has played cricket since under-12s with Steketee and believes the paceman could earn a T20 squad call-up for Australia in New Zealand next month or the Test tour of South Africa that will run concurrently.

“He has developed so much, a real hunger, aggression has been great and been able to perform really well for us in all formats, one-day, Shield cricket and T20s,” said Labuschagme of Steketee.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he was on one of those squads.”

The equation is simple for the Heat if they want to finish in the top five – secure un upset bonus point win over the high-flying Scorchers.

Following Sydney Thunder’s win over the Adelaide Strikers on Monday night, four points will be enough for Brisbane to contest the finals.

“We just know we have to win,” Heat wicket-keeper Jimmy Peirson said.

“That other stuff we can’t really control.”

Peirson predicted a strong performance from leg-spinner Swepson, who recently returned to Heat duties after being part of Australia’s extended squad for the four-Test series against India.

Swepson did not play in any of the Tests, but having been involved in the Heat’s past two matches, any rust that may have been in his system is gone.

“If you look at his (Sheffield) Shield form before he went away with the Australian team, it was fantastic,” Peirson said of his Heat and Queensland teammate.

“Obviously coming back into this group after bowling with the red ball, there were a couple of little tweaks he needed to make, and he’s done that through bowling at training and in the (two) games.

“He’s going to be a matchwinner, especially in these conditions here (at the Adelaide Oval) where it can take spin sometimes.

“He’s fantastic at controlling the field and controlling the game. He’s a big-game player for us so we’re looking forward to him doing his thing (on Tuesday).

Swepson said it was a “great experience” for him in the Test hub.

“Switching from bowling a lot of the balls in the nets to being out in the middle can be a difficult transition, but as a professional cricketer you’ve got to be adaptable and be able to do that well,” Swepson said.

“I thought my first game back (for the Heat, against the Strikers) wasn’t my greatest and that was probably taking that little bit of extra time to adjust … but I’m happy with the way the ball came out last game (against the Renegades) and hopefully now I can get in the rhythm of things and really hit the ground running for this next game, and then hopefully finals.”

But an ugly umpiring debacle once again erupted when the second highest run scorer of the competition Josh Philippe was given out LBW when the ball was missing leg stump by a long way.

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Philippe has proven to be a player who can take the game away from the opposition but was given out to Scott Boland in a shocking LBW decision.

Arguably lucky to survive an LBW appeal the over before for a ball that was shown to be just clipping the leg stump, Philippe was given out for a ball that may have just brushed the bail of a another leg stump.

After umpiring decisions took the shine off the early stages of the tournament, next summer’s BBL season appears set to use a review system but not necessarily DRS.

But the latest poor decision has led to Aussie great Andrew Symonds to take aim at the lack of technology.

“Talked earlier in the competition about using the technology that’s available, that there, you can sort that situation out with what we’ve got,” Symonds said. “I’d just like to see a bit of common sense. Look at the height of that, it’s got him up on the thigh pad. I know he’s not a tall man but that’s angling down leg. It’s a shame for the game really. Philippe needed to spend some time out there to give his side a real chance here.”

Mike Hussey said it basically came out in the wash as he survived being given out on a ball that was clipping the stumps.

A ball in the first over was given not out but was flicking the top of the bail, although would likely be an umpires call.

Adam Gilchrist said they weren’t terrible decisions however.

“They’re not in any way shape or form howling decisions,” Gilchrist said. “Disappointing if you’re on the receiving end at it’s proven to be not out.”

It could have been costly as the Sixers got really close at the end after losing some early wickets.

After Philippe, they lost 3/16 before Moises Henriques and Jordan Silk bounced back with a 70-run stand.

But it was Silk who almost did the job with a 49-ball 78.

The final over was tense despite the Sixers needing 28 runs.

The first ball was no ball with the Sixers taking a single, similarly, after the second legal ball, there was another no ball full toss that was hit for six.

But even with an eight ball over, the Sixers could only manage 20 to fall just short.

Earlier, Matthew Wade reminded everyone just how destructive he can be, combining with D’Arcy Short for the biggest partnership of the season.

Wade slammed 86 off 44 balls and was the first man out after scoring 145.

Incredibly, it was the pair’s third biggest partnership together as the fruitful relationship was rekindled.

But other than Short’s 52-ball 72, only Dawid Malan could make double figures as the Hurricanes lost 8-43 in the final overs.

It comes after Spain’s Paula Badosa apologised after revealing she tested positive for coronavirus while in quarantine ahead of the Australian Open.

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She is the first female tennis player on the tournament’s roster to have a confirmed positive test and is one of 10 cases linked to the Australian Open.

“I have some bad news. Today I received a positive COVID-19 test result. I’m feeling unwell and have some symptoms,” the world No. 67 tweeted. “But I’ll try to recover as soon as possible listening to the doctors.

“I’ve been taken to a health hotel to self isolate and be monitored.

“Thanks for your support. We’ll be back stronger.”

Badosa had earlier complained about being forced to quarantine when nobody in her team had tested positive, but changed her tune when taking to social media again on Friday.

“Please, don’t get me wrong. Health will always come first & I feel grateful for being in Australia,” she tweeted. “Quarantine & preventive measures are pivotal right now.

“I talked about rules that changed overnight but I understand the sad situation we are living. Sorry guys. Stay safe.”

On Saturday night, The Age reported that COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria, who are in charge of Victoria’s hotel quarantine scheme, had confirmed three positive cases linked to the Australian Open UK virus variant which is more highly transmissible.

Two men in their 30s and a man in his 50s were revealed as carrying the strain. None of the three are tennis players reportedly.

The news put egg on the faces of the RFET who called out the Australian Open organisers and said Tennis Australia should change the rules specifically for their players.

“(Players) were not informed about the possibility that they would be severely confined if they travelled on the same plane with a passenger who tested positive, without taking into account the physical proximity of the players affected with that positive,” the statement read.

“Mario Vilella and Carlos Alcaraz are confined in a room without being able to leave for 14 days when they have both performed multiple PCRs that have been negative.

“It is evident that these two players … will not be able to compete on equal terms with the rest of the players. And it is no longer only a strictly competitive problem of this first Grand Slam. The point is that his season could be seriously damaged by a 14-day lockdown.”

However, just over 24 hours later and after Badosa’s positive test was revealed, tennis journalist Jose Morgado shared the second letter, with a much softer language.

“First of all, we apologise to Tennis Australia if our statement has at any time been interpreted as a criticism of their working methods, nothing is further from our intention,” the new release read.

“The RFET thanks Tennis Australia for the effort to organise, in these times so complicated by the global pandemic, the first Grand Slam of the season, something vital for our tennis players who are going to compete again and generate resources.

“The Australian Government has demonstrated the effectiveness of its measures against COVID-19, as reflected by the evolution of the disease in this country, which is setting an example for the world.

“The RFET wants to reiterate its solidarity with all the players who have tested positive. He also wants to support Spanish athletes who, due to different circumstances, are undergoing strict 14-day confinement.”

The week has been filled with tennis stars unhappy with the quarantine measures in Australia.

Serbian David Cup captain and former World No. 12 Viktor Troicki was one of the latest.

Speaking to Sportski Zurnal, a Serbian daily sports newspaper, the 34-year-old World No. 202 slammed the lockdown as he attempts to resurrect his career.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t come,” Troicki told Sportski Zurnal.

“Total chaos, horror as far as everything is concerned. I’m locked up for 14 days, I can’t leave the room. No training, nothing. My Grand Slam is failing, I can’t get ready for five sets in the room.

“All preparations are failing. Two weeks of lying in bed, it is certain that I will have to get back in shape for the next month and a half. All this is creating chaos in my career.”

Lose to the last-placed Melbourne Renegades, and the Heat can start planning for next season.

Even a win may not be enough for Brisbane to play in this season’s finals but victory will at least keep them in contention heading into their final game of the regular season against the Perth Scorchers on Tuesday at Adelaide Oval.

The Heat won’t receive any favours from the Renegades, who made it their mission to spoil the finals’ hopes of other teams when their own chance of finishing in the top five ended last weekend.

They were true to their word in upsetting the Stars in the midweek Melbourne derby, and they now have Brisbane in their sights.

“They’re a dangerous side,” Heat coach Darren Lehmann said of the Renegades.

“They’ve got some young exciting players as well so we have to watch them and keep them quiet.

“It’s about starting well and getting the result going our way earlier rather than later, and not having to fight our way back into the game.”

The Heat were thrashed on Thursday night by the Adelaide Strikers at the Adelaide Oval.

Inspired by a century from Alex Carey, the Strikers made 5-197 off their 20 overs.

In reply, the Heat were bowled out for just 115 in 17.3 overs.

“If we just get back to the basics, do them well … things will go our way,” Lehmann said.

“It’s very clear what we need to do and get better at, obviously in all areas.

“We’ve been scrapping really well throughout the tournament, and it’s now time to do it again and get in front of the game.”

Lehmann said the Heat would not get distracted by picking up a crucial bonus point on Saturday to turn a potential win from three points into four.

“We had to win two from three before (the loss to the Strikers) anyway to get in (the finals), so we’ve just got to get back to winning ways, worrying about winning the game first and foremost, and we’ll hopefully pick up the bonus point along the way,” he said.

That’s the belief of Olyroos coach Graham Arnold, who is delighted at having at his disposal a growing pool of emerging players that are this season getting more game time in the A-League.

“I believe we’ll go to the Olympics and give it a shake for a medal,” Arnold said,

“COVID has been a disaster for a lot of people but for these kids, if anything, it’s been a blessing because now they’re getting more time, more minutes.”

It’s going to mean some pleasant selection headaches for Arnold, who mentioned the likes of Brisbane’s Dylan Wenzel-Halls, Western Sydney’s Tass Mourdoukoutas and Newcastle’s Ramy Najjarine being among those younger to have stood out this season,

The Olyroos – Australia’s under-23 team – will have an 18-man squad in Tokyo, with up to three players permitted to be over-age players.

Those over-age players won’t include those who are now a year too old for the team.

Such players, who were age eligible for the Olympics last year, will be permitted to play in Tokyo after FIFA recommended the age limit be raised to 24.

“This time last year we were still in Thailand qualifying for the Olympics, and I struggled to put a squad together,” Arnold said.

“Now the same people that were asking me those questions last year about the squad and how we would go in Thailand are now talking about how many great young kids we’ve got.

“If I had to pick an Olympic team for Tokyo 2020 then, it would have been an easy job. Now, it’s going to be very difficult.

“There are players everywhere pushing for one of those 18 positions to go to Tokyo, and they’re doing exceptionally well.”

Arnold – who is also the Socceroos coach – has been thrilled with the performances of younger and experienced players so far in a new A-League season that has perhaps been better than predicted after concerns the standard would fall due to a host of foreign and Australian talent having sought greener pastures elsewhere because of the national competition’s reduced salary cap.

“It may end up that in June for (the Socceroos) to finish the (2022) World Cup qualifiers I have to use an A-League based team,” Arnold said.

“I’m monitoring and I’m looking at those older boys all the time.

“The older players are the leaders, the role models, the mentors for these younger kids.

“They’re definitely on the radar for the Socceroos. In this pandemic you’ve got to be flexible with planning. We will find a way.”

Having been with Australia’s Test squad since last month, Heat pair Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Swepson, and Strikers duo Travis Head and Michael Neser are poised to play in what is shaping as a must-win clash for both teams.

Due to COVID-19-enforced travel restrictions, border closures and quarantine requirements, the quartet needed exemptions to play on Thursday night.

And provided their latest COVID-19 tests come back with negative results, Test star Labuschagne, leg-spinner Swepson, batsman Head and swing bowler Neser will be cleared to play.

The news is a huge boot for both sides. who are sitting outside the top five with five wins and six losses from 11 matches.

The sixth-placed Heat are a bonus point in front of the Strikers, who are only ahead of the struggling Melbourne Renegades on the table.

Strikers leg-spinner Liam O’Connor said having captain Head and Nasser in Adelaide’s team to play the Heat would be a “massive bonus”.

“At this stage it’s just up to the Government,” O’Connor said.

“We’ll just come out with a team that’s available and we’ll just play how we can.”

The Strikers are also hopeful paceman Peter Siddle will return from a fractured thumb after an impressive week on the training paddock.

O’Connor has the added pressure of having to fill the void left by departed Strikers spinner Rashid Khan, who last week left the squad represent Afghanistan in a limited-over series against Ireland in the UAE.

“You’ve got to be always prepared whether you’re playing or not playing,” O’Connor said.

“It would be great to have Rash here and playing alongside him but that’s just how it is so I’m always ready to go.”

O’Connor has enjoyed bowling against the Heat, with his career-best BBL figures of 3-30 coming against Brisbane at Adelaide Oval in January last year.

“We have performed well at Adelaide Oval and that’s always been the key to us, playing home games. We just play really well in front of our home crowd,” he said.

Adelaide Oval has also confirmed as the venue for the Australia Day clash between the Heat and the Scorchers that originally scheduled to take place at the SCG.

It’s part of a January 26 BBL triple-header, with the other two games to be played at the MCG, where the Renegades meet the Hurricanes, and the Stars take on the Sixers.

The tourists secured a remarkable 2-1 victory by chasing down 328 in the fourth innings in Brisbane to hand the Aussies their first defeat at the Gabba since 1988.

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Tim Paine’s troops failed to land the killer blow when presented with the opportunity to bowl India out on day five in consecutive Tests and paid the ultimate price.

Whereas last time India visited these shores in 2018/19, leaving with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and outclassing an Australian team minus Steve Smith and David Warner, this time there are no excuses.

India was decimated by the injury curse from hell, leading to it fielding a bowling unit in the final Test with a combined four games of experience, and still the Aussies couldn’t take advantage.

It means serious questions will be asked about what went wrong.

“I think there’ll be a huge fallout from this,” Warne said in commentary for Fox Cricket. “There’s not too many times that you lose to the second or third (choice) side.

“That’s not taking anything away from those Indian guys that played but their first selection side, there’s probably only two or three players in that side who would play.

“Australia being beaten 2-1 by India’s B-side (is disappointing).

“Their tactics will come into question, and they have to. Bowlers will come into question, people’s spot in the team will come into question. It has to.

“You can’t just deflect it and flick it off and say India were too good for us.

“Yes they were, but Australia had so many chances in this series to bury it and crush India, but they couldn’t do it. They just couldn’t do it.

“There’ll be a big fallout from this.”

While the bowlers couldn’t land the necessary knockout punch in Sydney or Brisbane, the batsmen were hardly blameless, as only Marnus Labuschagne averaged above 50. Thanks to form woes and injury there were three different opening combinations in four Tests, Matthew Wade may well be discarded after going the entire summer without making it to 50 and Marcus Harris failed to make the most of his lone start in Brisbane.

That Australia still couldn’t find a winning formula after Joe Burns and Travis Head were dumped is cause for concern, although Cameron Green showed promise at No. 6 and Will Pucovski will return to the side when fit after debuting at the SCG.

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Tim Paine carries a heavy burden as a captain and wicketkeeper expected to make runs at No. 7. He bungled some chances in the last two Tests, including a missed stumping and a drop in Brisbane to go with three drops on the final day in Sydney.

Legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist says Paine’s personal burden will be one to look at as the post-mortem commences.

“Tim Paine said that they’re going to have to look at a few things. They’re going to have to take a strong assessment on what’s happened,” Gilchrist told Fox Sports.

“There are areas that will come under the microscope and one of those areas may well be his situation, with all that he’s trying to take on as captain, keeper, batsman.

“There’s going to be a lot of introspection. It probably starts immediately.”

But Paine has no intention of going anywhere. He wants to be on the plane to South Africa for a Test tour in February, and denied he has too much on his plate.

“I don’t think so, mate,” Paine said when quizzed if his many responsibilities were taking a toll.

“I think I had a pretty ordinary day in Sydney, I copped that on the chin. As a sportsman you have more good days than bad days. It doesn’t always go your way.

“I’ve said many times in the last two or three years, I don’t look past the next series.

“I’m loving doing my job. It’s a difficult job and at times like this it can be bloody hard work. But that’s what I signed up for. I didn’t play my best cricket at times in this series.

“I’ll go away and look to get better, improve parts of my game and I won’t be looking past that game.”

Neesham suffered a compound dislocation on his left ring finger but says it is now “good as new” after undergoing the procedure.

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A compound dislocation means a dislocation that has broken the skin — and the star showed some of those photos in all their glory.

The allrounder injured his finger while fielding off his own bowling for Wellington against Canterbury over the weekend.

While the truly horrific photos Neesham posted are on his Instagram stories for a short time to come, even the ones allowed on Instagram aren’t pretty.

Neesham posted the images to his Instagram stories this afternoon, after asking followers whether they wanted to see images from before he had the surgery.

The gruesome images were deemed to be “sensitive content” by Instagram, which meant users had to click to confirm they wanted to see the image before it loaded on their screen.

The cricketer also shared the below shot of his finger after the surgery – much less graphic than the “before” shots – showing everything sewn back into place.

WARNING: Graphic

A specialist will check his hand next week but the player is optimistic about making a quick recovery and rejoining the Firebirds for the latter stages of the Twenty20 competition.

“Just to clarify to everyone asking, I underwent a minor procedure last night to make sure my finger is still in good shape. Thankfully it was,” he wrote on Twitter last night.

“The aim is to be back in time for the @SuperSmashNZ finals in early February.”

Sydney Sixers star Dan Christian said it would be a painful recovery.

He’s now in good hands with his dog Charlie looking after him post-surgery.

This story first appeared in the New Zealand Herald and was republished with permission.