G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "And Glen McGrath dismissed for two, just ninety-eight runs short of his century" - Richie Benaud.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

💥 Fastest ever Ton

⚽️ We have games

🃏 Another record sale

🏏 Cricket

Let's enjoy it

Nobody would have predicted India being bowled out for 36, or Steve Smith being unable to make 36 in aggregate until the third Test innings.

Nobody would have predicted a seaming MCG wicket with a match over in four days, or a Sydney pitch without a single crack in it after five.

No one knew which state borders would open and close, and where matches would be played and whether anyone could attend, or that occupants of a Sydney cemetery would be specifically prohibited.

Not many would have guessed that Nathan Lyon would bowl well but struggle for wickets, taking six in three Tests, and that he would enter the fourth and final match in Brisbane with 396 to his name, a chance to reach 400 in his 100th Test.

We could have speculated the series would be close, poised 1-1 heading into the deciding Test.

We couldn't have guessed at the path to reach this point, with Australia going through five opening batsmen and India through an entire secondary squad.

No more gossiping, speculating or having a go. Let's just enjoy it.

India injuries delay fourth Test selection

The tourists are giving their injured troops as long as they can to prove their fitness for the series decider.

Multiple injuries continue to cloud India's XI for the winner-takes-all fourth Vodafone Test in Brisbane, where the cagey tourists are yet to reveal whether spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will be an enforced omission.

Bumrah suffered an abdominal strain during the third Test.

In the Aussie starting line up, Will Pucovski has already been ruled out of Gabba Test, Marcus Harris to open.

💥 The White Ferns captain Sophie Devine scored a record-breaking 108 from 38 balls (ton off 36) as the Wellington Blaze thrashed the Otago Sparks in the Twenty20 Super Smash. It's the fastest ever in women's T20 cricket.

Hosts' batting display was 'one of the worst we've seen'

By the end of the first Test's opening day, Sri Lanka's coach puffed out his cheeks and pulled down his cap to hide his face.

"Awful", "diabolical", "farcical" were three adjectives used by stunned commentators.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan went further.

"The batting display from Sri Lanka is right up there with the worst we've seen," he said, speaking on Test Match Special.

The 135 all out included - Seven of the 10 wickets falling to attacking shots - two of them reverse sweeps.

England trail Sri Lanka by 8 runs with 8 wickets remaining.

⚽️ Football

A-League Matches (yes, we have matches)

Sat: Sydney FC (1.72) v WSW (4.60): Western Sydney Wanderers will look to continue their recent Sydney Derby ascendancy when they travel to face Sydney FC in a blockbuster Matchweek 4 showdown.

The Red and Black have not lost to their local rivals since December 15, 2018.

Melbourne City (1.85) v Western United (3.90): Four times Western United have tried, four times Melbourne City have walked away winners – but this newly-emerging Victorian feud will open a new chapter on Saturday.

Sun: Newcastle Jets (2.50) v Macarthur (2.75): One of the few teams to actually be playing their fourth match of the season in Matchweek 4, Macarthur could benefit from the relative consistency of their fixture list.

Things have not been so smooth at Newcastle with the side losing both of their matches to date, on top of the doubts over the future and stability of the club’s ownership. 

🗣 Transfer Talk

Arsenal's former Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, 32, has offered to forgo some of the £7m he is due to earn before the end of the season so he can cut his contract short and leave this month. (The Athletic - subscription required)

Barca boss Ronald Koeman is confident of signing two Netherlands internationals - Liverpoolmidfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, 30, and 26-year-old Lyon forward Memphis Depay - for free this summer. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish)

Max Burgess, who had refused to rejoin Western United for pre-season because he was holding out for a move to NSW, has since made his peace with the club and is expected to return for training next week. (Age)

🐴 Racing

Currie out to spice up Magic Millions again

It’s little wonder why Sydney trainer Annabel Neasham turned to Melbourne jockey Luke Currie to pilot Ghostwriter in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast.

Currie has won the $2 million event twice from three rides.

Currie won the two-year-old showpiece on the brilliant Sunlight before riding Away Game to victory for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace last year.

Neasham was part of the Maher and Eustace operation before branching out to train on her own last year. The $61 chance Ghostwriter will be one of Neasham’s two runners in the race.

Ghostwriter was a strong debut winner at Doomben on October 24 but struggled when resuming from a spell in the Group 3 BJ McLachlan (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Boxing Day.

Currie said the son of I Am Invincible was his own worst enemy in that race.

“He won all right at his first start but at his last start, he probably just got it a bit wrong and raced a but keen and just worked too hard,” Currie said.

“He’s got to improve, even off his win, to be competitive but I think, if he gets it right and has better run than he did last time, then he can run a good race.”

Isotope headlines Soil mates’ biggest day

Brian Siemsen readily admits he had a “lucky” start to his dabbling in horse ownership, but it was some frank advice from his close mate Tony Gollan that sowed the seeds for what has become the emerging juggernaut of Black Soil Bloodstock.

Isotope is out to give the now-prominent black and white Black Soil colours their biggest success when she runs in Saturday’s $2 million Magic Millions Guineas.

Stakes winning mare Niedorp also runs for the team in the $1 million Fillies & Mares race.

Siemsen is a successful businessmen, having founded the company Claim Central Consolidated at the same time he was trying to carve out a career in the NRL with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

“One of the coaches in my last contract, I explained I had this business that was going well, there’s a two-year (NRL) contract, what should I do?” he said.

“He sort of indicated to me that maybe business is your go. You’re not that good at footy! But he gave me great advice and I finished rugby league in 2007.”

🎾 Tennis

First ATP Tour Champion of 2021

In case you missed it, Alex de Minaur captured the fourth ATP Tour singles title of his career on Wednesday at the Antalya Open. The fourth-seeded Australian was leading eighth seed Alexander Bublik 2-0 in the first set, when the Kazakhstani retired after seven minutes of the final.

“I knew I’d put in a great pre-season, I felt good and ready to compete," said De Minaur. "I gave myself the best possible chance to go deep in this tournament. (ATP)

Australian Open: Andy Murray tests positive for coronavirus

Former world number one Andy Murray's participation at the Australian Open is in doubt after the Briton tested positive for coronavirus.

The 33-year-old Scot was set to fly out to Melbourne on a chartered flight arriving there over the next 36 hours.

Instead he remains in quarantine and isolating at home in London.

Murray, who is said to be in good health, remains hopeful he will be allowed to travel safely at a later date and compete as planned.

The Australian Open will start on 8 February at Melbourne Park, three weeks later than usual, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

🏉 NRL

Wayne Bennett to relinquish Queensland coaching job after 2020 heroics

Wayne Bennett has relinquished his position as Queensland coach to focus on winning a premiership in his last season at the helm of the Rabbitohs, reports NRL.com.

After jumping back into the Maroons coaching role at short notice last year following Kevin Walters' appointment as Broncos coach, Bennett once again became a saviour for his state in leading Queensland to one of the most unlikely series victories in State of Origin history.

Refreshed GI ‘in love with the game again’

Greg Inglis is officially out of retirement having linked up with new club Warrington Wolves to start his first pre-season since hanging up the boots two years ago.

The 34-year-old landed in the UK just under a week ago and while his focus is solely on performing for Warrington, Inglis hasn’t completely ruled out an Alfie Langer-esque representative comeback — except for his country rather than his state.

Back in 2001, Queensland coach Wayne Bennett sent out an S.O.S call to Langer — who was playing for with Warrington — to steer the Maroons to a series victory.

With the rugby league world cup coming up in October could a Kangaroos comeback be on the cards for Inglis, an international star with 39 games for his country to his name? (Fox)

🃏 Sports Cards

Highest price ever!

Only 2 years after selling for US$2.88M, a 1952 Mickey Mantle card has changed hands again.

This time, entrepreneur/Actor Rob Gough has bought the card for US$5.2M.

At $5.2M, it's the highest price ever paid for a trading card — beating the $3.4M Mike Trout rookie card.

🇺🇸 USA

Brooklyn Nets to acquire Houston Rockets star

Houston to receive Dante Exum, Rodions Kurcus, plus four first round draft picks; Harden told to stay away from Houston Rockets' practice after publicly venting frustration at team performances.

"I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can," Harden told a news conference. "I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed.

"We're just not good enough - chemistry, talent-wise, just everything."

The out-of-form 2018 MVP has scored 20 points or fewer in each of the past four games - his longest such stretch since 2011-12.

✍🏼 Trinity Rodman, the daughter of NBA champion Dennis, has begun her own top-level professional sports career after being drafted second in the top US women’s football league. (Fox)

🐶🏀 Bonus!