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Updated December 11th, 2021 at 10:54 IST

BBL: Andre Russell stayed away from Melbourne Stars dugout in debut; here's what happened

Andre Russell had arrived in Melbourne for BBL 2021 only hours before the match on Friday having completed his 72 hours of quarantine in Sydney.

Reported by: Suraj Alva
Andre Russell quarantine BBL 2021
Image: Melbourne Stars / Twitter | Image:self
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Adam Zampa's heroics in the final over saw Melbourne Stars beat Sydney Thunder by 4 runs to register their first win of the BBL 2021 campaign. With 11 needed in the last over, Zampa conceded just 7 runs to take the team past the finish line. The match also witnessed the debut of West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell who had a stuttered start to the campaign. However, the major talking point of the match was about Dre Russ going through strict COVID-19 protocol even during the Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.

Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder: Andre Russell isolation inside the ground

Andre Russell had arrived in Melbourne only hours before the match on Friday having completed his 72 hours of quarantine in Sydney. The West Indian had to enter the stadium through a different gate to his teammates, use a different lift and use a different dressing room as he had to follow rigid COVID-19 guidelines. These guidelines were part of the BBL integration period for his first match. The all-rounder was also seen sitting in a separate dugout to the one the Melbourne Stars used on Friday. He maintained the distancing protocols throughout the match and avoided contact with the rest of his teammates. 

BBL 2021: Andre Russell performance for Melbourne Stars

Speaking about Andre Russell's performance during the Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder match, the all-rounder made a quickfire 17 runs from only 9 balls helping the Melbourne Stars reach the score of 165/4 in 20 overs. Nick Larkin had an impressive outing for Glenn Maxwell led team scoring 43-ball 52 runs.

While Russell had a decent outing with the bat he, however, struggled with the ball. The West Indian proved to be the most expensive Melbourne Stars bowler on the night at the iconic MCG stadium. He gave away 40 runs in 4 overs, however, a superb effort from leg-spinner Adam Zampa saw the Stars defend 11 in the final over and win the contest. Russell will play 4 more matches for the Melbourne Stars in this season of the BBL. Maxwell's side currently occupy the 6th spot on BBL 2021 Points table with just a solitary win from 2 matches.

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Published December 11th, 2021 at 10:54 IST

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