G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "Gym. Like dancing, holding hands, queueing. Overrated." - After dismissing the value of coaches, Shane Warne goes after gyms.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Sweep on the cards

🐴 Ice cold Isotope ride

🥊 Pound for Pound King

🏏 Cricket

Before the Vodafone Test Series began, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting predicted a 2-1 series win to the hosts. But having witnessed India's capitulation in Adelaide the Test great says a series sweep could be on the cards.

India started day three at Adelaide Oval in a commanding position at 1-9 with a 62-run lead. But in the space of 16 overs they were bundled out for 36 – their lowest ever total in Test match cricket – and had all but surrendered the first Test.

No batter made it to double figures as Josh Hazlewood (5-8) and Pat Cummins (4-21) ran riot with the pink ball before their batters ticked off the 90 runs for victory with eight wickets in hand.

Having seen first-hand the demolition job wrought by Australia, Ponting says India will do well to rebound after such a demoralising defeat, with a clean sweep a strong possibility. (full match report)

Josh Hazlewood delivered one of the great bowling displays - 5 overs, 5 wickets, 3 maidens, for just 8 runs. In doing so, he became the 18th Australian to take 200 Test wickets

Joining; Warne, McGrath, Lyon, Lillee, Johnson, Lee, McDermott, Gillespie, Benaud, McKenzie, Starc, Lindwall, Siddle, Grimmett, Hughes, MacGill & Thomson

Burns and Wade the most likely opening partnership

Australia’s Test openers Joe Burns and Matthew Wade are likely to receive another chance to impress selectors, with injured duo David Warner and Will Pucovski set to miss the Boxing Day Test against India.

The Daily Telegraph reported Pucovski has been ruled out of the second Test at the MCG due to concussion symptoms, while Warner is unlikely to overcome his groin complaint.

In the Indian camp - Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the rest of India's tour; the bowler suffered a fracture on his right forearm.

Big Bash

Match report: Sydney Sixers win by 38 runs

A whirlwind knock from Dan Christian kick-started a late blitz from the Sydney Sixers that proved too much for the Adelaide Strikers to chase down the 178 required.

Christian got his 50 up in just 15 (fifteen) balls, at a strike rate of 333. The second fastest in BBL history behind Chris Gayle's 12 ball 50 in BBL05.

⚽️ Football

A-League schedule in doubt amid Sydney's COVID-19 cluster

With just six days until the 2020/21 A-League season kicks off, the competition has today admitted games could be postponed following Sydney's COVID-19 cluster.

The season is set to kick off with the Western Sydney Wanders taking on newcomers Macarthur FC at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday, but that match appears it will be postponed due to the outbreak in Sydney's Northern Beaches.

While Sydney FC currently has their opening game of the season scheduled to take place at Jubilee Stadium on December 30 against Melbourne City in a grand final replay, which also looks unlikely to go ahead at this stage. (nine)

👋🏼 Brighton & Hove Albion have told Mathew Ryan that he is free to find a new club in January. The club value Ryan at the £7M to £10M mark. [@footyinsider247]

🛏 Mitch Langerak has broken the J-League record for the most clean sheets in a single season with Nagoya Grampus, after he recorded his 17th clean sheet today

👶🏻 Kai Rooney, 11 (son of Wayne), has signed his first contract for Manchester United.

🏆 Jason Davidson lifted the AFC Champions League trophy with Ulsan Hyundai, as they beat Perspolis 2-1.

🐴 Racing

Unbelievable’ Isotope leaves Gollan in awe.

Isotope produced a performance that left both trainer and jockey stunned, while Away Game left her connections equally impressed as the stage was set for an epic rematch in next month’s Magic Millions Guineas following the Gold Edition Plate at Doomben on Saturday.

Maloney gave himself no hope of winning when heads turned for home and Boss had angled Away Game into clear air and shot her to the front.

“I looked up at the top of the straight, the thing in front of me just kept coming back in my lap … that’s just exceptional,” Maloney said.

“She’s beaten a Group 1 class filly from a position where they just don’t do it at Doomben.” (racenet)

🤕 Golden Eagle-winning hoop Koby Jennings is set to be sidelined for at least 10 weeks after suffering a double break in his left arm at Goulburn on Friday.

Jennings underwent surgery at Norwest Hospital on Saturday and had two plates as well as ‘a lot of screws’ inserted into his arm to help repair the damage.

The hard-working hoop sustained the injury when he was dislodged from Eliseo before the second event when the three-year-old colt started bucking. (racenet)

🎾 Tennis

🇦🇺 AFL

Round 1 confirmed for 2021 AFL season

Adam Treloar is set to face off against his old side when the Bulldogs take on the Magpies on Friday night at the MCG.

The opening match of the fixture will be the now-traditional meeting between Richmond and Carlton on Thursday, March 18, MCG, 7.25pm (AEDT) before Treloar lines up for the Bulldogs the following night.

In other Round 1 match-ups, Melbourne will host Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday afternoon while Jeremy Cameron looks to play his first game for the Cats at Adelaide Oval when Geelong travel to face the Crows.

The two Saturday night games will see the Bombers and Hawks clash at Marvel Stadium, while the Lions, who brought Bombers forward Joe Daniher across to the club during the trade period, will meet the Swans in Brisbane.

On Sunday, North Melbourne and Port Adelaide will face off at Marvel Stadium, GWS will host the Saints at Giants Stadium as Gold Coast fly to Perth to meet the Eagles. (AFL)

🐯 Richmond’s Sydney Stack admits his “AFL career is on the line” after the young gun was charged with breaching Western Australia’s 14-day quarantine requirements. (Fox)

⛹🏻‍♀️ WNBL

Nearly 10 years after winning a title at the Melbourne Boomers, Liz Cambage and Jenna O’Hea are WNBL champions again — this time as Southside Flyers.

After a tense first three quarters our Southsiders overwhelmed the hometown Townsville Fire in the fourth, running out 99-82 victors in a superb team performance.

Leilani Mitchell took home the Grand Final MVP and Rachel Sporn Medal for the Flyers after a brilliant individual game including 31 points, 5 assists and 5 3PM!

As the old Dandenong Rangers, the club won championships in 2004, 2005 and 2012 but it has been a long wait since with a name change to the Southside Flyers along the way.

Since that last title, there was Grand Final losses in 2017 and earlier in 2020, preliminary final defeats in 2013 and 2014, and semi-final exits in 2015 and 2016.

But that was all put behind them as they claimed the championship with the 17-point win in front of a full house at Townsville Stadium. (WNBL)

⛳️ Golf

2020 PNC Championship scores: Tiger Woods and son Charlie make debut with thrilling opening round

The father-son duo of Tiger and his 11-year-old son Charlie shot a 10-under 62 on Saturday in Round 1 of the PNC Championship, and it was Charlie who commandeered the attention.

He also threw some shade at Team Thomas - Justin Thomas and his father, Mike - after they left their drives in a right-hand bunker on one hole on the back nine. Charlie left a note in the bunker that said "draw hole."

Team Woods trails Matt Kuchar and his son by four strokes going into today.

🥊 Boxing

Canelo Alvarez unanimously outpointed previously undefeated Callum Smith to win the WBA & Ring super-middleweight championships and vacant WBC super-middleweight title Saturday night at the Alamodome.

Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) dominated his only bout this year, repeatedly hitting Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) with straight rights and right hooks to the head over 12 rounds.

Two judges scored the bout 119-109 and the third had it 117-111.

At 5-foot-8, Alvarez was the aggressor against the 6-foot-3 Smith.

Alvarez previously knocked out Callum's older brother, Liam, on Sept. 17, 2106, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Many speculated Callum wanted revenge for the ninth-round knockout, but Alvarez dominated the younger Smith as well. (nine)

📺 Live sport

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Lazio v Napoli (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - France Ligue 1 - Lille OSC v Paris Saint-Germain (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Eibar v Real Madrid (BeIN Sports 2)

🏈 08:05 - NFL - Arizona Cardinals v Philadelphia Eagles (7mate or NFL Game Pass)

🏈 08:25 - NFL - New Orleans Saints v Kansas City ChiefsESPN 1

🏈 12:20 - NFL - New York Giants v Cleveland BrownsESPN 1

TUESDAY

⚽️ 01:00 - Indian Super League - ATK Mohun Bagan v Bengaluru FC (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 04:30 - Premier League - Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Optus Sport 1)

🎯 05:00 - PDC World Championship, Round 2 7 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Chelsea v West Ham United (Optus Sport 1)

🏈 12:15 - NFL - Cincinnati Bengals v Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN 1)

🏏 17:00 - Twenty20 Series - New Zealand v Pakistan (Fox Cricket)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers (Fox Cricket)

🎯 23:00 - PDC World Championship, Round 2 (Fox Sports)