G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "When you've got your man down, rub him out." - Rod Laver

🎉 Today is the 200th edition. Do us a favour and forward this email to one mate!

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Miracle at the Gabba

🏉 New pay deal

🏀 Most expensive US franchises

🏏 Cricket

‘Greatest win in Indian history’: World reacts to all-time comeback from Adelaide meltdown

India has produced one of the best Test performances on Australian soil to clinch the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Set 328 for victory by Australia late on day four, India came to the party with an emphatic three-wicket victory in the final few overs of the Test, led by young guns Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.

As Rishabh Pant cracked his series-winning four off a full delivery from Josh Hazlewood, little would the ethereal wicketkeeper know that with his final stroke he had captivated the hearts of the sports world.

It’s a remarkable turn of events given India were bundled out for just 36 in the opening Test of the summer, heading to the MCG colosseum trailing 1-0.

Tim Paine was forced to confront questions over the Australian cricket team's future leadership in light of their shock 2-1 series loss to India on home soil.

Paine has no immediate plans of vacating his post as Australian captain despite recording back-to-back home series defeats against India, but has refused to commit to next summer's Ashes.

The skipper was thrown under the blowtorch off the back of a shattering series loss in which his leadership was repeatedly called into question.

Big Bash

Ben McDermott has blasted the Hurricanes past the Thunder, twice smashing the ball out of Manuka Oval for a pair of sixes destined for the season highlight reel.

The Hurricanes came out slow after the Thunder set a total of 177-5, with Sam billings top-scoring for the Sydneysiders with 50.

It wouldn't be until McDermott was summoned to the crease that the Tasmanians' innings would come alive as he smashed a whopping 96 off 56 deliveries enroute to a six-wicket victory (with 12 balls remaining).

⚽️ Football

Matt Simon goes on one

Matt Simon was on a rampaging mission — and that spelt trouble for his Western Sydney Wanderers opponents on Tuesday night.

The Central Coast Mariners skipper was involved in three fiery incidents within a 17-minute period that led to a few Wanderers hitting the Central Coast Stadium turf.

In one such incident, Simon attempted a header from a corner kick, only to collide with ex-teammate Ziggy Gordon. But after both players hit the deck, Simon appeared to clip Gordon before standing over the top of him in a screaming match.

WSW won 1-0.

Today's A-League fixtures

Newcastle Jets (2.60) v Brisbane Roar (2.60): By the time this match kicks off, it will have been 18 days since the Roar last played in an A-League fixture while the Jets will be about 73 hours removed from their match with Macarthur.

The Roar had the better of Newcastle last season drawing with them in January before scraping out a 1-0 in one of the final matches before the league went into hiatus in March.

Perth Glory (2.25) v Adelaide United (3.05): Better late than never, we finally get a look at this Perth Glory outfit in the domestic competition.

Almost seven weeks to the day since their last competitive fixture in the Asian Champions League, Perth will present a side that really could go either way.

We have seen Adelaide in the A-League twice already and what has stood out so far is their impressive defensive work, keeping a pair of clean sheets with goalkeeper James Delianov one of the early stars of the season.

Messi sees red

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has been banned for two games after being sent off for the first time for his club during their Spanish Super Cup defeat.

Barcelona say they will appeal against the suspension, which was handed out by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

The 33-year-old forward, in his 753rd appearance for Barca, appeared to swing at Athletic Bilbao's Asier Villalibre in the final seconds of extra time.

Tiki Taka

🧤 Socceroos coach Graham Arnold admits it is a worry that Mat Ryan is on the outer at Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion. He hasn't played since December 14. (twg)

✈️ Matt Millar has departed Shrewsbury Town following the end of his loan deal, and has returned to Australia to link up with Newcastle. (@shrewsweb)

🦁 Brisbane Roar have signed goalkeeper Bon Scott as an injury replacement for Jamie Young. (@brisbaneroar)

💰 Chelsea are prepared to break their transfer record to sign Borussia Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland, 20, this summer, despite the Norway striker's 75m euro (AU$116.6m) release clause not becoming active until 2022. (The Athletic - subscription required)

🐢 Paris St-Germain sporting director Leonardo insists the club remain keen to sign 33-year-old Argentina forward Lionel Messi, whose contract ends with Barcelona this summer. (Sport)

🐴 Racing

Star is born? Group 1 next for Magic Millions gun

Trainer Tony Gollan will put the Group 1 The Galaxy in the crosshairs of Magic Millions star Jonker this autumn.

The son of Spirit Of Boom is enjoying some time in the paddock after his impressive triumph in the $1 million Magic Million Snippets on the Gold Coast last weekend.

A Group 1 date at Rosehill awaits when he returns with Gollan keen to add a valuable major to the stallion’s resume when he returns.

Gollan has only had Jonker for three starts after a switch from the David Atkins stable but believes the five-year-old will be competitive at the top level. (racenet)

🎾 Tennis

Australian Open

Two more Australian Open tennis players have tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving in Melbourne, state health officials said on Tuesday.

It comes after a player was believed to have tested positive on Sunday, amid growing controversy over the event.

One more "non-playing participant" also has Covid, bringing the overall total linked to the Open to seven, including a flight attendant.

Some 1,200 people have flown in for the tournament, which begins on 8 February.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said in a statement that the latest three positive tests of two players and a non-participant were of a woman in her 20s and two men in their 30s, all of whom were in hotel quarantine.

Rows over quarantine rules have cast a shadow over the upcoming event.

Some players have expressed frustration about being confined to hotel rooms full-time while other rivals are not.

World number one Novak Djokovic lobbied authorities to relax quarantine rules for players - including making the periods shorter.

The suggestions earned him criticism from Australian player Nick Kyrgios, who tweeted: "Djokovic is a tool."

🏉 NRL

New Pay Deal

The NRL's elite representative players will sacrifice a collective $3 million in Origin payments to ensure their minimum wage counterparts do not have their salaries impacted by a reduced salary cap.

Six months of negotiations between the NRL and Rugby League Players Association have finalised a six per cent reduction in the base salary cap for 2021 and 2022.

The revised CBA will see clubs operate to a $9.02 million cap this season – down from $9.6 million under the original agreement, and $9.11 million in 2022 – dropping from a planned $9.7 million.

With each NRL club saving just under $600,000 a year on salaries over the next two seasons, the savings amount to just under $19 million across player wages. (NRL)

🇦🇺 AFL

Crows gun cops record ban at Tribunal for front-on hit

Adelaide star Ebony Marinoff has been suspended for three weeks for the tackle which resulted in a broken C7 vertebra for Giant Brid Stack.

It is the longest suspension in the four-and-a-bit seasons of the AFLW, with no player having been banned for more than two matches.

Marinoff had been charged with forceful front-on contact – graded careless, severe impact and high contact – from the fourth-quarter incident during Sunday’s practice match, and the case had been referred directly to the Tribunal.

"I'm really disappointed with this outcome, it was never my intention to hurt Brid," Marinoff said after the hearing.

🇺🇸 USA

Three NBA Teams Top US$5 Billion

The average NBA franchise is worth nearly $2.4 billion, according to data compiled by Sportico

That is down 2% as a direct result of the pandemic, based on modeling. Collectively, the fair-market value of the NBA’s 30 teams, including ownership’s stakes in real estate, regional sports networks and additional team-related holdings, is more than $71 billion.

Three franchises—the New York Knicks ($5.42B up from $655 million in 2011), Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers—are each worth more than $5 billion. (For context, each of those teams has a greater fair-market value than any National Football League team except for the Dallas Cowboys). (full Sportico article)

📺 Live sport

⚽️ 07:15 - Premier League - Leicester City v Chelsea (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:30 - Spanish La Liga - Deportivo Alaves v Sevilla (BeIN Sports 1)

⚾️ 11:00 - ABL - Adelaide Giants v Perth Heat (Fox Sports More)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's - Florida Gators v Tennessee Volunteers (ESPN 1)

🚙 12:30 - Monster Energy Supercross, Round 2 (ESPN 2)

🏀 13:00 - NBA - Utah Jazz v New Orleans Pelicans (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🏀 13:00 - NCAA Men's - Pittsburgh Panthers v Duke Blue Devils (ESPN 1)

⚾️ 15:00 - ABL Regular Season - Adelaide Giants v Brisbane Bandits (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 19:05 - A-League - Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Melbourne Renegades v Melbourne Stars (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Adelaide 36ers v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 21:20 - A-League - Perth Glory v Adelaide United (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 01:00 - Italian Serie A - Udinese v Atalanta (BeIN Sports 1)

👊🏻 01:00 - UFC Fight Night Prelims (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 01:00 - Indian Super League - Kerala Blasters v Bengaluru FC (Fox Sports More)

👊🏻 04:00 - UFC Fight Night Main Card - Michael Chiesa v Neil Magny (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 04:30 - German Bundesliga - Schalke 04 v FC Koln (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 05:00 - Premier League - Manchester City v Aston Villa (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 05:00 - English Championship - Norwich City v Bristol City (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 05:00 - Spanish La Liga - Getafe v Huesca (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 06:00 - FA Women's Super League - Birmingham City Women v Everton Women (Optus Sport App)

⚽️ 06:30 - German Bundesliga - Augsburg v Bayern Munich (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:15 - Scottish Premiership - Livingston v Celtic (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:15 - Premier League - Fulham v Manchester United (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:30 - Spanish La Liga - Villarreal v Granada (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 11:00 - NBA Regular Season - Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics (ESPN 1)

🏒 13:00 - NHL Regular Season - St. Louis Blues v San Jose Sharks (ESPN 2)

🏀 13:30 - NBA Regular Season - Houston Rockets v Phoenix Suns (ESPN 1)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 13:35 - Men's National Road Series - Santos Festival of Cycling (7Plus)

⛳️ 14:30 - Abu Dhabi Championship, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 19:05 - W-League - Adelaide United Women v Melbourne City Women (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Adelaide Strikers v Brisbane Heat (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

🏀 19:30 - NBL Regular Season - Brisbane Bullets v The Hawks (ESPN 1)

⚾️ 21:00 - ABL Regular Season - Perth Heat v Sydney Blue Sox (Kayo Sports)

⛳️ 22:00 - Abu Dhabi Championship, Round 1, Part 2 (Fox Sports)