Indians hit by border setback

Stars face quarantine

QUEENSLAND has decided to keep its border locked to greater Sydney, delivering the knockout blow to India’s hopes of wriggling out of hotel quarantine should they fly to Brisbane for the fourth Test match.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was expected to consider opening the border on Friday, but instead that review has been delayed until the end of January.

An open border would’ve helped Australian and Indian players push for relaxed protocols for the final leg of the Border-Gavaskar series.

Queensland Health was last week confident that Sydney’s outbreak was under control after sewerage from outside the city tested negative for COVID-19. But despite NSW recording no new local cases on Thursday, Ms Palaszczuk has shut the door on an early opening and flagged the possibility that Victorians will soon be shut out from the Sunshine State as well.

It comes as confirmation that coronavirus has escaped hotel quarantine in Brisbane, with a cleaner at Hotel Grand Chancellor showing symptoms and then testing positive.

The positive case has put Queensland back on high alert, with the state unable to commit to allowing a capacity crowd at the Gabba when the Test begins next Friday.

Queensland’s chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young laid down the law to an agitated Board of Control for Cricket in India, which does not want to be confined to a Brisbane hotel.

“My rules are the standard rules I’ve used for sporting teams right from the start, and they’ve worked very successfully for us, so that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Dr Young said on Thursday.

“That’s (India agreeing to come to Brisbane) something between Cricket Australian and the Indian cricket board for them to work through.”

A chartered flight is expected to jet both teams from Sydney to Brisbane on Tuesday. Players will be free to mingle in the hotel but can only leave to train and play at the Gabba.