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Nic Maddinson is in fine company. Prior to Maddinson, only a dozen Australian top-six batsmen had fallen for a duck in their first Test innings on debut. Victor Trumper was one of them, also Joe Darling, Syd Gregory and Harry Trott, among Australias best early cricketers. In the more modern era there was Matthew Elliott, Phillip Hughes and Andrew Symonds - all of whom went on to score Test centuries.But there are some not-so-elites in the group, too. Roy Park is best remembered for the story, apocryphal or not, of how his wife bent down to pick up her knitting and missed his entire Test career: he was bowled first ball in his only Test innings. Others such as Ken Meuleman and Roland Pope, like Park, never played another Test.Whatever happens at the Gabba this week, at least Maddinson wont fall into the latter camp. He will get another chance in the baggy green, a second opportunity to get off the mark in Test cricket after his 12-ball duck against South Africa at Adelaide Oval. It will be a chance to show that he has the game to bat in the longest form; by his own admission he, at times, has played too aggressively in first-class cricket.Its all about me finding a consistent mental state where I can start my innings, Maddinson said in Brisbane on Sunday. Have a game plan where it can work, not just when Im batting on a good day on a flat wicket, but something I can implement on days where the ball is moving and Im not feeling like its all going together.I think thats an important part of how I can improve as a player. And thats... where the inconsistencies lie at the moment. At times Ive been a bit too aggressive when the situation didnt suit, but I feel like Im more comfortable with my batting at the moment which comes with making enough mistakes and being around long enough to work it out.In Adelaide, Maddinson came in under lights, facing the swinging pink ball, and was a little tentative before being bowled by a fine delivery from Kagiso Rabada. It meant he was the only one of Australias three debutants to leave Adelaide empty-handed - Peter Handscomb scored a first-innings fifty and then struck the winning runs, and Matt Renshaw occupied the crease for 183 balls.But having wiped out nearly half the side in moving from Hobart to Adelaide, the selectors opted for a steady hand in the wake of Australias consolation victory and named the same 12 for the first Test against Pakistan. Maddinson hopes that after a nervy debut, he will be better placed for Test cricket come his second opportunity.It helps when the team wins... its easier to keep it together and let guys develop a little bit if they have missed out, Maddinson said. Although it was a good ball, theres always something you can do differently. Whether its a mindset or just sharpen up a little bit. Ive had time to watch it and theres definitely some things Ill be taking in when I start my innings this week.One positive for Maddinson is that, unlike on Test debut, he now has a decent pink-ball score under his belt. Prior to the Adelaide day-night Test, Maddinsons pink-ball day-night first-class career consisted of scores of 1, 18, 17, 1 and 46. But against South Australia in Adelaide last week, Maddinson scored 80 in the first innings of a day-night Sheffield Shield game to give him some confidence.Regardless of what ball it was, it was an important innings for me, Maddinson said. The game before that in Shield cricket I probably didnt get the runs I would have liked when I sort of felt in at times as well.So to be able to get 80 last week - I was still extremely disappointed to get out when and how I did in that innings, and to miss out in the second innings. 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Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series.MIAMI -- Its all so different now for the Miami Heat. A franchise that won three NBA championships with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the last decade is now starting over in many respects.James is gone and a champion again in Cleveland. Wade now plays for Chicago. Bosh and the Heat are estranged, with no hope of reconciling.So from the outside, it would seem like a daunting challenge awaits Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.Not so, according to Spoelstras boss.This is not his greatest challenge, Heat President Pat Riley said. This is far and away from his greatest challenge. His greatest challenge was four years of the Big Three. ... This is a challenge for him, but its one that I know hes excited about. He can go to the drawing board, start moving pieces around, cultivate his own philosophy with this team.Hassan Whiteside, Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Tyler Johnson are the young core now for Miami, with Goran Dragic running the offense and veterans like Dion Waiters, Wayne Ellington and Derrick Williams brought in to help complete a very-new-looking Heat roster. A team thats barely two years removed from the NBA Finals and was a win away from the leagues final four last season is entering this season with far more questions than answers.Its what you sign up for in this business, Spoelstra said. Competition is still everything. And this will be great competition.Riley said hes energized by this new chapter, albeit one that the Heat werent exactly clamoring to see arrive. He revealed last month that hes entertained thoughts of stepping down in the last couple years, though is now committing himself to another rebuilding that he believes can soon be classified as a reloading.We want to win and we dont know what we really have, Riley said. But we love Hassan. We love Josh and Justise and Tyler and a lot of the other young players that we have. Its a wait-and-lets-see what happens, and then well go from there.---Heres some of what to know going into the Heat season:SPO MILESTONE: Miamis first victory this season will be the 400th for coach Erik Spoelsstra.dddddddddddd San Antonios Gregg Popovich is the NBAs only other coach to reach 400 wins with his current club. Only six coaches with more than eight years of experience -- Phil Jackson, Billy Cunningham, Popovich, K.C. Jones, Red Auerbach and Heat President Pat Riley -- have a better winning percentage than Spoelstra, who turns 46 on Nov. 1.AFTER WADE: This was Miamis starting five the last time it played a game without Dwyane Wade on the roster: Anthony Carter and Rasual Butler at guard, Caron Butler and Malik Allen at forward and Brian Grant at center. Wades mark on the Heat record books is going to last a very long time -- he leads the franchise in games played, games started, points, assists and steals, plus is second in blocks and fourth in rebounds.WHITESIDES OFFENSE: Much gets made about Hassan Whitesides defensive presence, and rightly so considering he led the NBA in blocks per game last season by a wide margin. But Whiteside also has shooting numbers better than any starter in Heat history, albeit still with a relatively small sample size. Whiteside shot 63 percent from 2-point range two seasons ago, 61 percent last year. Next on that list: LeBron James, 60 percent in 2012-13.RUNNING DRAGON: When the Heat started playing at a much faster pace following the All-Star break last season, point guard Goran Dragics numbers soared. Dragic before the break last year -- 12.2 points, 5.3 assists. Dragic after the break -- 17.3 points, 6.7 assists, and that was basically in the same amount of minutes.MINNESOTA TO MIAMI: Something about the way the Minnesota Timberwolves draft seems to eventually appeal to Miami. The Wolves drafted Mario Chalmers on draft night in 2008, in what became a deal that sent the two-time champion point guard to the Heat. And this Heat team features three newcomers who were all first-round Minnesota draftees -- Wayne Ellington (No. 28, 2009), Luke Babbitt (No. 16, 2010) and Derrick Williams (No. 2, 2011). ' ' '