G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "Michael, change of plan. Some Bodyline, son." - Umpire Ian Gould tells Michael Clarke that Varun Aaron is coming around the wicket.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Superman stuff in the field

⚽️ World's most valuable player

⛳️ PGA Preview

🏏 Cricket

Australia seize control

Marnus Labuschagne posted an unbeaten 67 and shared partnerships of 100 with Will Pucovski and 60 with Steve Smith to help Australia reach 2-166 at stumps after a rain-interrupted opening day of the third test against India.

Will Pucovski's debut took an age to come around. His excellent 62 showed it was worth the wait.

Related Stories:

• Shane Warne 'disappointed' and in disbelief at Rishabh Pant's claimed catch off Will Pucovski (nine)

• Umpires hammered for poor management of rain delay as SCG crowd gets restless (nine)

• David Warner cops criticism for rash dismissal as injury concerns linger (nine)

Big Bash

Rain did its best to dampen the action on the field as the Brisbane Heat beat the Melbourne Stars by 18 runs, but the weather couldn’t stop the Heat from catching fire in a late-night thriller.

Heat captain Chris Lynn returned from a hamstring injury to blast 48 runs in an innings that was twice paused by the rain.

In a match that was eventually shortened to 10 overs per side, the Heat then put in one of the finest fielding efforts ever seen, taking two spectacular catches and having a third controversially ruled out by the third umpire – and that wasn’t the end of it.

The Sydney Thunder have returned to the top of the BBL standings with a clinical 39 run win over the Hobart Hurricanes in Perth.

The Thunder's 5-167 was solid, not imposing, but a true team effort in the field meant the Hurricanes never truly threated to chase it down.

The Thunder (6-2) are one point clear of the Sixers (5-3) and an all-Sydney final appears a real possibility.

⚽️ Football

Next Level Petty

Royal Antwerp's Didier Lamkel Zé wanted to force a move to Panathinaikos. So he turned up to training wearing arch-rivals Anderlecht's kit.

💰 World's most valuable player

Marcus Rashford ($300m) is now the most expensive player in the world, according to @CIES_Football

1. Rashford

2. Haaland

3. Alexander-Arnold

4. Fernandes

5. Mbappe

The Asian Football Confederation has announced the dates for the 2023 Asian Cup.

The 18th edition of the Asian Cup, the region's flagship national team competition, will take place in China on June 16-July 16, 2023.

Ten cities across China will host the 24-team tournament, which will be held over 31 days, three days more than the 28-day showpiece in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2019.

China will host the tournament for the second time after organising it in 2004. (TWG)

🔁 Transfer Talk

Barcelona are considering buying a Major League Soccer franchise to help convince Messi to renew his deal after he said he wanted to play in the US at the end of his career. (AS)

Newcastle Jets have made their first signing under new ownership. A replacement for midfielder Steven Ugarkovic - 19-year-old Aussie Luka Prso on a six month loan. “I’m eligible to play for Australia and Croatia, but my heart ever since I was little has been set on playing for my home country, which is Australia,” Prso told The World Game.

🇦🇺 AFL

This is the high quality journalism we’re looking for in the off season

🎉 2021 SPORT PREDICTOR COMP

We’ve put together a list of the biggest sporting events in 2021.

Now its up to you to predict the outcomes!

If you haven’t already, Enter below, it’s free to play and you could win Sport Journal Merch!

• Enter your email (so we can contact you if you win)

• Name

• Then select you predictions from the list of choices for each event

• Don’t forget to hit submit

It covers all the big sporting events of the year ahead;

• 🎾 Australian Open

• 🏅 Olympics

• 🇦🇺 Grand Finals

• 🏉 Rugby League World Cup

• 🏏 T20 World Cup

Please share with your mates. Just forward this email or copy and paste this link into a WhatsApp group.

🏀 NBL

Blockbuster Double Header to Open NBL21 Season

The NBL announced a revised schedule for the first two rounds of the season.

The 2020-21 Hungry Jack’s NBL Season will tip off on Friday January 15 with a blockbuster double header to open the league’s 43rd season.

Last season’s finalists the Cairns Taipans will meet the new look Hawks led by recently returned master coach Brian Goorjian.

This will be followed by reigning champions the Perth Wildcats taking on Melbourne United as they begin their campaign for a third consecutive title.

🏉 NRL

Mitchell Pearce struggles to contain emotions in raw press conference after losing Knights captaincy — wwos.nine.com.au

Mitchell Pearce has struggled to contain his emotions as he publicly addressed the text message scandal that cost him the Knights' captaincy.

🎾 Tennis

Nick Kyrgios headlines Murray River Open as summer of tennis takes shape

Following on from the announcement of the ATP Cup field, it has now been revealed that there will be several other tournaments featuring some of the sport's biggest names in the week starting on January 31.

More than $2.2 million in prizemoney will go on the line with two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 tournaments filling the lead-up to the opening grand slam of the year.

Australia's world No.1 Ashleigh Barty will return to the court after a long layoff to headline one of two women's tournaments that will split the top 32 ranked players in the world - with 16 to play in the Gippsland Trophy and 16 to play in the Yarra Valley Classic.

Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios will headline the field to play at Melbourne Park in the Murray River Open, which will also feature three-time grand slam champion Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov, Felix Auger-Aliassime and former US Open champion Marin Cilic. (ABC)

⛳️ Golf

Preview: Sentry Tournament of Champions

The Sentry Tournament of Champions tees off today at Maui's Kapalua Plantation Course.

• Normally, only players who won a tournament in the previous PGA season are invited to play (hence the name).

• But this year, with the pandemic shutting things down for three months, the field was expanded to include players who reached the FedEx Cup finale.

Previous winners: 

• 2020 - Justin Thomas -14

• 2019 - Xander Schauffele -23

• 2018 - Dustin Johnson -24

• 2017 - Justin Thomas -22

• 2016 - Jordan Spieth -30

The field: A record 42 men will vie for the US$6.7 million purse, and with no cut they'll each have four days to play their best golf.

• Favourites: Dustin Johnson (7.0) DJ has no qualms about winning back-to-back events, he won three in-a-row in early 2017 and he’s won three of his last 11 starts. Justin Thomas (13-2) lead the way. They're also tied for the longest active streak playing in the event (2016–present).

• Next best: Xander Schauffele, who was one putt shy of winning this event last year, and won it the year before, is probablythe best of the 16 non-winners in the field. Also Like Patrick Reed.

LeBron James teased a sports team ownership move on Twitter.

Following Tuesday’s U.S. Senate runoff election, which saw Rev. Raphael Warnock defeat incumbent Kelly Loeffler,

James tweeted: “Think I’m gone put together an ownership group for the The Dream. Whose In? #BlackVotesMatter.”

Loeffler, who owns 49% of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, saw the team — and other WNBA players — wear “Vote Warnock” T-shirts and lead a voting effort after she came out against the Black Lives Matter and Say Her Name movements.

📺 Live sport

TODAY

⛳️ 10:00 - Tournament of Champions, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🎾 10:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open, Round 1, Night 1 (BeIN Sports 3)

🏏 10:30 - Test Match - Australia v India (7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's - Maryland Terrapins v Iowa Hawkeyes (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Sudamericana Semi-Final - Coquimbo Unido v Defensa y Justicia (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - Brooklyn Nets v Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN 1)

🏀 14:00 - NBA Regular Season - Denver Nuggets v Dallas Mavericks (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 16:35 - W-League Regular Season - Newcastle Jets Women v Sydney FC Women (Fox Sports)

🏏 18:10 - Big Bash League - Adelaide Strikers v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket)

⚽️ 19:05 - A-League Regular Season - Newcastle Jets v Western Sydney Wanderers (Fox Sports)

🎾 21:00 - WTA Abu Dhabi Open, Round 1, Night 3 (BeIN Sports 3)

SATURDAY

🏉 06:45 - Premiership Rugby - Bath Rugby v Wasps (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 06:45 - FA Cup Third Round Proper - Aston Villa v Liverpool (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Celta Vigo v Villarreal (BeIN Sports 2)

🏉 07:00 - Premiership Rugby - Sale Sharks v Worcester Warriors (Fox Sports)

🏀 07:00 - EuroLeague - Real Madrid Basketball v Olimpia Milan (Fox Sports) More

⛳️ 10:00 - Tournament of Champions, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🎾 10:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open, Round 1, Night 2 (BeIN Sports 3)

🏏 10:30 - Test Match - Australia v India (7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - New Orleans Pelicans v Charlotte Hornets (ESPN 1)

🏀 14:00 - NBA Regular Season - Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 1)

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

🎾 17:00 - WTA Abu Dhabi Open, Round 2, Day 4 (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League Regular Season - Macarthur FC Bulls v Wellington Phoenix (ABC, Fox Sports)

⚽️ 19:05 - W-League Regular Season - Adelaide United Women v Perth Glory Women (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Perth Scorchers v Sydney Thunder (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

⚾️ 19:30 - ABL Regular Season - Brisbane Bandits v Perth Heat (Fox Sports More)

🐎 19:50 - Group 3 Pacers, Agnes Banks Equine Clinic Pace (Sky Racing 1)

🐎 20:35 - Open Trotters, Aldebaran Park Maori Mile (Sky Racing 1)

⚽️ 23:00 - FA Cup Third Round Proper - Everton v Rotherham United (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 23:30 - FA Women's Super League - Manchester City Women v West Ham United Women (Optus Sport)

SUNDAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Milan v Torino (BeIN Sports 1)

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

🏀 07:00 - NBA Regular Season - Philadelphia 76ers v Denver Nuggets (SBS Viceland or Sky Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - FA Cup Third Round Proper - Manchester United v Watford (ESPN 2)

⛳️ 08:00 - Tournament of Champions, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

🏈 08:40 - NFC Wild Card Game - Seattle Seahawks v Los Angeles Rams (7mate, ESPN 1)

🎾 10:00 - ATP Delray Beach Open, Round 2, Night 3 (BeIN Sports 3)

🏏 10:30 - Test Match - Australia v India (7, Fox Cricket)

🏀 11:00 - NBA Regular Season - Washington Wizards v Miami Heat (NBA League Pass, SBS Viceland or Sky Sports 2)

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

🏀 12:00 - NBA Regular Season - Minnesota Timberwolves v San Antonio Spurs (ESPN 2)

🏈 12:15 - NFC Wild Card Game - Washington v Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7mate, ESPN 1)

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

⚽️ 16:05 - W-League Regular Season - Melbourne City Women v Melbourne Victory Women (ABC, Fox Sports)

⚽️ 18:05 - A-League Regular Season - Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory (Fox Sports)i

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

⚽️ 22:30 - Italian Serie A - Roma v Inter Milan (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 22:30 - Indian Super League - Chennaiyin FC v Odisha FC (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 23:00 - FA Women's Super League - Everton Women v Manchester United Women (Optus Sport)