CONCORD, N.C. — Josh Berry is one of the nicest and most genuine people in the sport of auto racing.

He’s also one of the hardest working racers and this year his hard work is being rewarded with an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports.

Berry has worked for JR Motorsports for years, serving as both a driver and manager of the team’s late model stock car program. He got the job after forming a friendship with team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10 years ago when they were both regular iRacing competitors.

Since then, Berry has scored countless late model victories and championships, including a weekly racing championship at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the CARS Late Model Stock Tour title and, most recently, the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national championship.

He’s earned the opportunity he has with JR Motorsports, which will see him compete in about a dozen Xfinity Series races during the first half of the season.

However, Berry is far from the only short-track, stock car driver who deserves an opportunity like this. There are countless other late model drivers who deserve a shot to race in one of NASCAR’s three national series.

– Speaking of drivers who are always a threat in super late model races in the Southeast, Matt Craig is near the top of the list.

Craig, from Kannapolis, N.C., has consistently been one of the best super late model competitors in and around the Carolinas during the last five seasons. He’s won five straight touring series titles to go along with numerous feature victories.

He’s also not afraid to mix it up with regional and national stars. His multiple dustups with Bubba Pollard during the last few seasons show that not only is Craig fast, he is willing to use the chrome horn when he deems it necessary.

– On the other side of the country is Derek Thorn, who has established himself as the king of the SRL SPEARS Southwest Tour, which races primarily at tracks in California and surrounding states.

Thorn has consistently been the man to beat with the series, where he has claimed five championships since 2012. He’s also a two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion, claiming titles in 2013 and ’18.

Thorn also isn’t afraid to race outside of his region. He annually makes the trip to Florida’s Five Flags Speedway during Snowball Derby week. He won the 2019 Snowflake 100 pro late model race and last year he came up just short of winning the Snowball Derby after a battle with eventual winner Ty Majeski.

– Bobby McCarty is among the best late model stock car competitors in the United States.

At age 28, McCarty is one of the drivers to beat at every CARS Late Model Stock Tour event. He won consecutive championships in 2018 and ’19 with the series while racing for Nelson Motorsports.

Much like Craig, McCarty isn’t afraid to use the bumper of his race car to help him make a pass. It cost him dearly last year after a scrap with Berry resulted in Berry crashing McCarty at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., all but ending McCarty’s CARS Tour title hunt.

Regardless, McCarty continues to be among the best in the business in a late model stock car and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

– Casey Roderick is another driver who deserves an opportunity to shine in good equipment.

Roderick has been turning heads for years. We first heard of him more than 10 years ago when, at 16, he finished second in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway.

He would go on to win an ARCA race the following season at New Jersey Motorsports Park and has since made a name for himself racing super late models across the United States. He’s earned several marquee victories, including capturing the All-American 400 trophy last fall.

Roderick has had a few opportunities in NASCAR over the years, with his best coming in 2018 when he drove for GMS Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Iowa Speedway. However, Roderick has shown he deserves more than one-off opportunities.

– Last, but certainly not least, is perhaps the best short-track driver in the country.

Pollard continues to set the standard for what a super late model racer should aspire to be. He’s well spoken, makes no excuses and wins and loses with respect and dignity. However, he has no problem standing up for himself or his team when he feels like he’s been done wrong.

Pollard has won more marquee races than most drivers could ever dream, including the Oxford 250, the Slinger Nationals, CRA SpeedFest, the Winter Showdown, the Rattler 250 and the All-American 400.

Pollard even gets dirty from time to time, having scored victories in weekly competition at his home track, Georgia’s Senoia Raceway, when he wasn’t racing his asphalt late model.

These are only a few drivers who deserve a look from NASCAR team owners. However, racing isn’t always about talent. It’s often about how much money a driver can bring to the table.

Because of that, many drivers will never get the opportunities they deserve.

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The invites were sent, and all the RSVPs have returned.

The stars of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, along with a plethora of Late Model standouts, are set to battle at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway for the World of Outlaws Bristol Bash, April 8-10.

The prospective list of drivers attending the historic event include:

B1 Brent Larson
OE Rick Eckert
OS Ryan Scott
O Scott Bloomquist
1 Brandon Sheppard
1G Devin Gilpin
6 Blake Spencer
6JR Parker Martin Jr.
7 Ross Robinson
7 Ricky Weiss
8  Kyle Strickler
9  Devon Moran
11 Gordy Gundaker
14 Josh Richards
16 Tyler Bruening
18 Chase Junghans
18D Daulton Wilson
19R Ryan Gustin
20 Jimmy Owens
20RT Ricky Thornton Jr.
22 Chris Ferguson
24D Michael Brown
25 Mason Zeigler
25 Shane Clanton
28 Dennis Erb Jr.
29 Darrell Lanigan
32 Bobby Pierce
40B Kyle Bronson
42 Cla Knight
44 Chris Madden
44F Stewart Friesen
49 Jonathan Davenport
54 David Breazeale
56 Tony Jackson Jr.
57 Zach Mitchell
58 Ross Bailes
76 Brandon Overton
81E Tanner English
97 Cade Dillard
99B Boom Briggs
157 Mike Marlar

Some invites were not accepted as some drivers had other commitments on those dates. World of Outlaws Late Model Series Director Casey Shuman addressed how the invitation process worked.

“There have been a lot of questions on why certain people weren’t invited,” Shuman said. “We looked to invite not only our full-time World of Outlaws teams but also the top-25 drivers across the county, including the DIRTcar Summer Nationals and the Xtreme Late Model Series.”

Some of the tour regulars have already made some laps around the track, covered in dirt for the first time in 20 years.

Ricky Weiss was the fastest in that test session, clocking in with a time of 15.266 seconds, going around the half-mile oval with an average speed of 125 mph.

While he wasn’t the fastest car during the test session a few weeks ago, three-time defending champion Brandon Sheppard can say he has the most experience. The New Berlin, Ill., native ran 156 laps around the speedway and is the only driver who ran more than 100 laps during the test session.

Sheppard’s crew made a lot of changes during that five-hour test session, which is something that many drivers expect to do throughout the weekend. They also expect the two races to be a different animal than what they’re used to.

“The track’s a lot bigger, and a lot different than we usually run on, so you’re going to have to change your car around, and it’s going to have to be kind of like an endurance deal,” Dennis Erb Jr. said.

While the drivers are preparing for those changes, they’re also excited to hit the track, at a speedway with such a rich history.

“It’s definitely going to be exciting,” Chase Junghans said. “I think the atmosphere’s going to be really cool, it’s going to be really fast.

“Hopefully we come out of there with two cars and have a good finish.”

All drivers will get a practice session on Thursday, April 8, before the features on Friday, April 9, and Saturday, April 10. Both feature events will be 40 laps, with $10,000 on the line Friday, and $25,000 to the winner Saturday. The DIRTcar UMP Modifieds will also accompany the World of Outlaws Late Models throughout the event.

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City will face "one of the best strikers in the world" in Erling Haaland when they face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

City will face the Bundesliga side in the quarterfinals following the draw on Friday and Haaland, who has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium, will pose a significant threat after scoring 31 goals in 30 games this season.

- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
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- UCL predictions: Bayern Munich to face Chelsea in the final?

"The numbers speak for themselves," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. "He is one of the best strikers in the world at his age. The numbers are impressive.

"I know the quality of him and I think everyone knows, but in two weeks I will answer better because I didn't see much.

"Dortmund is tough but all of them would have been. We have to discover how they are as a team, do a good first game and then the second one.

"The best team will go through, no more secrets. We have two weeks to analyse their games, how they do and that's all."

City are looking for a striker this summer and Haaland is one of the names in the frame, although Dortmund expect to keep the 20-year-old for at least one more season.

Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, played for City between 2000 and 2003 but Guardiola refused to be drawn on whether Erling will follow.

"He's a player for Dortmund," Guardiola added, who takes his team to Everton on Saturday for their FA Cup quarterfinal tie (Stream live on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET in the U.S.).

"I don't like it when people talk about our players. You understand I cannot answer this question."

Manchester United have secured a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with global technology company TeamViewer with sources telling ESPN that the contract is worth £47 million-a-year -- an annual drop of £17m on their expiring partnership with Chevrolet.

United's world-record deal with Chevrolet, which was agreed in 2012 before starting officially in 2014, was worth £64m -a-year and remains the biggest ever struck by a football club for shirt sponsorship.

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But with United failing to win the Premier League or Champions League since 2013, combined with the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the club has been unable to match or better the terms agreed with Chevrolet nine years ago.

Sources have said that the TeamViewer deal, which will see the German company have their logo on the United shirt from the start of next season, is the biggest standalone shirt deal in the Premier League.

And United could yet reduce the deficit caused by the loss of the Chevrolet deal by securing an automobile sponsor. The Chevrolet deal also saw the American company signed up as United's official car partner, but sources have said that a replacement could see the club earn approximately £10m annually from another automotive partner.

United managing director Richard Arnold said: "We are tremendously proud to be establishing this partnership with one of the most exciting and dynamic global software companies.

"The ability to connect and collaborate has never been more important to the world and our community of 1.1 billion fans and followers."

The United States men's national team will play a friendly against Switzerland in St. Gallen on May 30.

The match, which will be played at Kybunpark Arena, will serve as a tune-up ahead of the final stages of the CONCACAF Nations League, with the U.S. set to take on Honduras in the semifinals on June 3. The winner of that match will play in the final three days later against the winner of the other semi involving Mexico and Costa Rica. The Swiss are preparing for the European Championship where they have been drawn into Group A with Italy, Turkey and Wales.

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- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)

"One of our priorities is to challenge ourselves against top level competition, so we're thrilled to have the opportunity to play a quality European opponent," U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter said.

"Both teams will be gearing up for big tournaments, so it will be great preparation for our group as we head into the summer."

The U.S. will hold a training camp in Switzerland to prepare for the match, as well as the CONCACAF Nations League. But the date of the friendly makes for a fairly quick turnaround for the National League game given the travel logistics involved.

The U.S. faces the Swiss for the first time since a friendly in Basel on March 31, 2015 when the two sides played to a 1-1 draw, with Brek Shea scoring for the Americans. The U.S. team's record in the matchup stands at 1-3-4, with the only win coming in 2007 when the Americans prevailed 1-0 in a friendly courtesy of a Michael Bradley goal. The two sides also squared off at the 1994 World Cup, playing to a 1-1 draw in which U.S. forward Eric Wynalda scored on a spectacular free kick.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City must navigate a daunting route to the club's first-ever Champions League final after the draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals pitted the Premier League leaders against Borussia Dortmund and the winners of the clash between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

With UEFA mapping out the road to the final in Istanbul by drawing both the quarters and semis, the prospect of Liverpool repeating their 2005 Champions League success at the Ataturk Stadium depends on Jurgen Klopp's team overcoming Real Madrid in the last eight, before facing the winners of the Chelsea-Porto tie. Prior to winning the Champions League in 2005, Liverpool beat Chelsea in the semifinal with Luis Garcia's infamous "ghost goal."

- UCL draw: Real Madrid vs. Liverpool, Bayern vs. PSG
- Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)
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The draw also keeps alive the prospect of an all-English final, with a box office clash between Real and Bayern also possible.

With the route to Istanbul now clear, ESPN has attempted to predict how the final rounds will shape up -- and who will meet in the final on May 29.

Manchester City vs. Borussia Dortmund

While Manchester City will be strong favourites to progress over a Dortmund team that's outside the top four in the German Bundesliga, it could all go horribly wrong for Pep Guardiola's team if they fail to nullify the threat of Erling Haaland.

The 20-year-old, whose father Alfie played for City between 2000-03, is a major summer target for Guardiola, but right now, he's the biggest threat to City's prospects of reaching the semis. Haaland is the top scorer in this season's competition with 10 goals and will be unfazed by facing City, but Dortmund also have the attacking talents of former City youngster Jadon Sancho to cause concern for Guardiola and his players.

Dortmund's weakness is at the back, as they've conceded nine goals so far this season in the competition. City, meanwhile, have allowed just one goal in eight Champions League games: a 14th minute goal in City's 3-1 win over Porto back in October. But as impressive as City have been, they've not faced a striker of Haaland's quality during a soft run to the quarters, so the tie is less clear-cut that it would seem on paper.

City's overall strength, with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling, should see them progress, but Haaland could turn the tie on its head.

Who qualifies? Manchester City

FC Porto vs. Chelsea

Although Porto shocked Juventus in the last round to reach the quarterfinals, the two-time Champions League winners were the team the other seven clubs wanted to draw.

Coach Sergio Conceicao has built a tough, under-estimated side at Estadio do Dragao, with the 38-year-old Pepe marshalling the defence in outstanding fashion against Juve. Sergio Oliveira's goal threat from midfield will worry Chelsea, but Thomas Tuchel's team have been transformed since the German coach replaced Frank Lampard in January, going unbeaten in 13 games (all competitions). Their impressive round of 16 win against Atletico Madrid also highlighted their emergence as a dangerous outsider in this season's competition.

- Laurens: How Tuchel turned Chelsea around

Tuchel has got Chelsea organised defensively, and he's also starting to get the best from Kai Havertz. Timo Werner is another player who is beginning to perform under Tuchel after struggling with Lampard.

While Porto have the ability and the coach to make life tough for Chelsea and push them all the way, it is difficult to see beyond the English club.

Who qualifies? Chelsea

Bayern Munich vs. PSG

A re-run of last season's final, which was won by Bayern in Lisbon, sees arguably the two favourites for this year's competition go head-to-head once again.

Bayern have outscored every other club this season with 24 goals in eight games so far, but Hansi Flick's team have shown vulnerability in the Bundesliga by losing twice -- against Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt -- in 2021. PSG have also struggled for their usual winning form, with Mauricio Pochettino's team in an unfamiliar second place in Ligue 1 behind leaders Lille. But the round of 16 elimination of Barcelona was a major psychological hurdle cleared by PSG due to their previous frailties against Europe's elite clubs, and facing Bayern again has come at a good time for the French team.

If Neymar can return to full fitness in time after a lengthy spell out with a thigh injury, he and Kylian Mbappe could bring Bayern down. But right now, Bayern look most likely to come out on top in the closest of the four ties.

Who qualifies? Bayern Munich

Real Madrid vs. Liverpool

It's a repeat of the 1981 and 2018 Champions League finals, but also a clash between two sides that have struggled for form this season. Mohamed Salah's reunion with Sergio Ramos for the first time since the Liverpool forward was injured by the Madrid captain in the 2018 final will be a fascinating sub-plot to this tie, but the outcome is likely to be decided by which team defends best.

Liverpool's defensive crisis caused by the long-term injuries to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez has destabilised Klopp's team, while captain Jordan Henderson's injury absence in midfield has also impacted on results. Yet Real have leaked goals all season, with Zinedine Zidane's team conceding 10 in eight Champions League games. Liverpool, despite their problems, have only let in three goals in the competition this season.

The prospect of the ties being played at Real's tiny Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano stadium at the club training ground, and the second-leg at an empty Anfield, will have an impact too, because both sides can usually rely on formidable home support in the latter stages of the Champions League.

This is a tie between an ageing Real and an injury-hit Liverpool, but if Salah and Sadio Mane are on form, Liverpool will win.

Who qualifies? Liverpool

SEMIFINAL PREVIEW

Bayern Munich vs. Man City: If the quarterfinals go as predicted, a Bayern vs. City clash in the semis will happen, with City once again landed with the toughest possible route to the final.

Pep Guardiola spent three years at Bayern trying, and failing, to win the Champions League and it will be 10 years in May since he last guided a team to European glory, following Barcelona's win against Manchester United at Wembley in 2011. City, of course, have never won the Champions League or reached the final and despite the incredible success he has delivered at the Etihad since arriving in 2016, they continue to wait for glory in the biggest competition.

In terms of the quality of teams and squads, there is little gap between City and Bayern, although the German club's pedigree in the Champions League gives them the edge. They have been there and City haven't, which matters in the final stages, with City lacking the psychological strength to overcome an inferior Lyon team in last year's quarterfinals.

The one area that could prove decisive. With Sergio Aguero struggling for fitness all season, City have lacked a reliable striker. Gabriel Jesus, simply hasn't measured up as a replacement. Meanwhile Bayern have Robert Lewandowski, and the Poland international's reliability means that the reigning European champions are favourites to reach the final.

Who qualifies? Bayern Munich

Liverpool vs. Chelsea: This Premier League clash became a Champions League grudge match during the 2000s, with Liverpool twice beating the London club in semifinals, in 2005 and 2007, before finally losing a third in 2008. This time around, if Liverpool overcome Real and Chelsea see off Porto, they could meet again at this stage for a fourth time.

Liverpool's Champions League pedigree always counts in their favour, but they won't be able to rely on a noisy, packed Anfield this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chelsea won their last outing at Anfield in the Premier League earlier this month and Tuchel will believe he has the durability and confidence within his team to win again if they meet in the semifinals.

Both teams have had their struggles this season, but Chelsea have now found their form and they look fresh and strong under their new manager. If they do meet Liverpool in the semis, Chelsea will have the edge to book a rematch of their 2012 final win against Bayern Munich.

Who qualifies? Chelsea

Big Picture

Here we go then, this is the contest that makes all the agonies and frustrations of recent months worthwhile. In the midst of a pandemic, we've got a treat in store. The world's top-two ranked teams going head to head in a contest that, to judge by the ding-dong battle we've enjoyed so far this series, could yet be a full dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup final in just over six months' time.

The only pity is that there will be no crowd present to create the full bear-pit atmosphere that this contest deserves. There were 66,000 spectators present to watch India's series-leveller in game two, before the gates were slammed shut once again due to Gujarat's surge in Covid cases - and all the signs point to a similar arrangement when the ODIs begin in Pune next week. But in keeping with the impressive intensity that cricket at all levels has managed in this lock-down era, there will be no let-up on either side when the teams stride out to the middle on Saturday.

Eoin Morgan was granted his full-strength squad for this series, to the chagrin of those who believe that England's prospects in last month's Test series were compromised as a consequence. But he has consistently stressed the need for his team to learn their lessons fast before the mad schedule of the English summer pulls his star players in every direction. And so, while he would no doubt have been delighted to wrap up the series with a better showing in match four, it's not simply a case of putting on a brave face when he says he is relishing this chance to road-test his troops in their highest-stakes contest since 2019.

After all, England have made it their business in recent years to embrace the expectation that comes with their front-running style of white-ball cricket. And while the circumstances are somewhat different, this contest carries with it the same sort of manufactured gravitas that England conferred on their fifth ODI against Australia at Old Trafford in 2018, when the chance was there to serve their greatest rivals a 5-0 series drubbing, and Jos Buttler dragged them over the line with a thrilling century in a one-wicket win. It's not putting too fine a point on it to suggest that that chase, and the lessons learnt within it, were instrumental in England holding their nerve in the following years' World Cup final.

As for Virat Kohli, the lessons and pointers that he too has gleaned in the past four games have been invaluable. England have won three out of the four tosses in the series to date - a significant advantage given the onset of dew under the floodlights. But Kohli's consistent message, that he was unconcerned about his team having to do it the hard way, bore fruit on Thursday evening, when they put enough runs on the board to squeeze England until they squeaked in their mounting run-chase.

The manner in which India have won their two matches has been particularly instructive. On both occasions, it has been the devil-may-care exuberance of their rookies that has sparked the team into life, with Ishan Kishan's debut fifty in game two giving way to Suryakumar Yadav's scintillating 57 from 31 on Thursday. But neither has had a chance to come good in the same contest yet - and nor has Rishabh Pant, although with four scores between 21 and 30, and 102 runs from 79 balls all told, he doesn't seem far away from cutting loose in his habitual fashion.

The concern once again for India has been elsewhere in their batting order. KL Rahul's struggles just will not go away, and while he does have an IPL looming in which he can re-find his range, the manner in which England have gone for the jugular in the powerplay, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood dovetailing with such violent intent, will be hard to replicate outside of contests against Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada at Delhi Capitals in the IPL.

Rohit Sharma, likewise, has not yet found his range, in spite of a first-ball six on Thursday - Archer has now bagged him three times in 15 balls in T20s, at a cost of ten runs. Shreyas Iyer has been an important source of mid-innings momentum, most notably in the two games when Kohli has been undone by Adil Rashid, but for a side that is actively targetting a fearless new approach to their batting, the feeling persists that they have at least one too many anchors in their current first-choice line-up.

In the bowling stakes, the two teams have subtly different problems. India remain wedded to their five-man attack, which offers no wriggle-room on a day when one of them gets taken for a journey - as it nearly happened on Thursday to Washington Sundar. But equally, that pressure to perform on a ball-by-ball basis can create some seriously hardened competitors. Hardik Pandya was the under-sung hero in match four, as he skidded through his four overs for 16 runs, while Shardul Thakur held his nerve at the death, just as Archer was threatening to reprise his IPL range-hitting. Sometimes, when you are walking a tight-rope, that imperative not to look down can be emboldening.

England have broader options, but rather less defined roles. Archer, Wood and Rashid are the clear backbones of their World Cup line-up, but with no second spinner - not even a part-time option such as Joe Root provided in 2016 - the less express seam of Sam Curran, Ben Stokes and Chris Jordan has proved a touch too hittable at key moments in this campaign. Curran's indefinable status in the side epitomises England's uncertainty. He bowled four overs for 22, including a wicket-maiden in the powerplay in game two, but just five for 45 as England's sixth option in the rest of the series combined.

These are, however, fairly good problems to have in the final approach to a major tournament. Win or lose in the series decider, both England and India will emerge from these five games with their plans a touch more clear, and their hunches explored in an environment that they couldn't have ascertained against less potent opponents. The groundwork for October will have been laid by both teams, come what may.

Form guide

In the spotlight

This could be Dawid Malan's moment of reckoning. England's No.1-ranked T20I batsman has endured a series of untimely fallowness in India - 80 runs from 77 balls all told, with four scores between 14 and 24, and no real sense that he was about to cut loose before he was cut short. It doesn't feel like an over-extrapolation to suggest that Morgan hasn't ever rated Malan quite as highly as his remarkable record might deserve, but this is the sort of dress rehearsal that can make or break perceptions. More than anything, the skipper values big-game players, so a matchwinning hand on Saturday's stage may yet ink his name among the must-haves for October. That said, the manner of Malan's demises in this series have been revealing - his attempts to force the pace against the spinners have come unstuck in each of his last three outings, and if that's a sign that he's liable to get bogged down in the middle overs in India where previously he has skipped through the gears, then his card may already be marked.

Suryakumar Yadav's maiden international innings was an utter joy to behold. As carefree as his Mumbai Indians' team-mate Kishan in match two - and all the more valuable to his team in that it came in the first innings of the match, and effectively landed a blow against the head in this toss-and-dew dominated series. The raucousness of his opening blow, a Roy Fredericks-esque pull for six over fine leg off a fired-up Archer, was so timely for his team, for it showed he would not be cowed by the express pace of England's quicks, and signalled a charge towards, first, their best powerplay total of the series, and ultimately the top innings score too. He admitted afterwards that he had been encouraged by Kohli to keep things simple and play as he has been doing so consistently at the IPL. If he can follow that showing up with a similarly unfettered display on Saturday, it'll take something special from England to match it.

Team news

Rahul's struggles got no better on Thursday - in fact, his 14 from 17 balls was arguably a worse contribution than another short sharp duck would have been. But having been backed to battle through his form slump by Kohli, it would be intriguing to see him get the heave-ho now, even though Kishan's potential recovery from a groin niggle sends a challenge to India's brains trust. If there is to be a change, then T Natarajan, and his line in pinpoint yorkers, could get a chance to bolster India's bowling now that he has emerged from his quarantine period. Sundar had his moment in the second game, but his offspin landed squarely in the hitting arc of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow on Thursday.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Washington Sundar/T Natarajan, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Rahul Chahar

It's hard to see England changing their formula right now (thanks for coming, Moeen Ali) although their surfeit of left-handers in the middle order did encounter a bit of a pile-up when Thakur got his wide cutters going towards the back-end of the innings. Could there be a temptation to mix up the batting order a touch? Stokes snuck in ahead of Morgan in match four and reaped the benefits of a longer lead-in with his best innings of the series, 46 from 23, but as suggested by Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, his natural fit in these conditions could be as high as No.3. Certainly, if he did grind along to a run-a-ball 20 in the early stages of his stay, he's proven beyond any doubt that he would have the gears to go big.

England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.

Pitch and conditions

It's back to the scene of India's victory in match two on Saturday, as the teams line up once again on the pitch where Kishan and Kohli made short work of England's target of 166 for 3. According to Paul Collingwood, England's assistant coach, there's been water added to the surface since that game and the cracks have sealed back up, and he doesn't expect it to prove as slow and low as was the case when batting first in that match. And there's a precedent for recycling in this series already: the black-soiled surface for the last game, used in the opening match too, proved to be the best batting pitch of the series so far, with enough carry off the deck to reward shots in both innings. Although, as Kohli acknowledged afterwards, the dew factor was a bigger consideration than ever in the closing overs of the game.

Stats and trivia

• One way or another, a lengthy unbeaten series record will come to an end tomorrow. England have won seven and drawn one of their last eight T20I series, dating back to their last tour of India in 2018.
• India, meanwhile, have won six and drawn one of their last seven T20I series, dating back to Australia's victory in February 2019.
• Malan is still on course to break Babar Azam's record for the fastest batsman to 1000 T20I runs - 26 innings. He needs another 65 in his next two knocks, having reached 935 from 23 to date.
• England have been fined 20 per cent of their match fees for a slow over-rate in the fourth T20I, a penalty that took into account the lengthy delays for two third-umpire reviews for catches by Malan and Rashid on the fine leg / third-man boundary.
• Both Archer and Wood have gone at less than a run a ball in the powerplay in this series so far. Archer has claimed two wickets in 48 balls, at a cost of 45 runs; Wood has picked up three in 30, while conceding 18 runs.

Quotes

"We go into the next game with a huge amount of pressure on our shoulders as a team, because whoever wins that game wins the series. That's great for us as a team, especially with a T20 World Cup coming up because the more pressure situations we get put into as a team the more I think we'll benefit from it."
Ben Stokes wants England to feel the heat as the World Cup draws ever closer.

India Women's T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the T20I series opener against South Africa on Saturday in Lucknow due to an injury. In her absence, Smriti Mandhana will lead the side in what will be their first appearance in the format since the T20 World Cup final on March 8 last year.

Kaur had suffered a hip-flexor injury in the fifth and final ODI against South Africa on Wednesday, having settled in to put together a half-century stand with Mithali Raj before retiring out in the 31st over just as India looked to launch. She didn't take the field for the rest of the game.

"She [Kaur] has been ruled out of tomorrow's match and rest of the updates on her injury will be given by the medical team and the team management," Mandhana said on the eve of the first T20I. "It will be better for them to speak about it rather than me."

Mandhana, 24, has led India in four T20Is, her maiden bow as captain having come in March 2019, where she filled in for an injured Kaur in the three-match T20I series against a visiting England side in Guwahati. India suffered a whitewash in that assignment, but in her next stint as captain, in November that year, she led the T20I side to a 61-run win against hosts West Indies.

Mandhana also confirmed that India would be going in with the same opening combination they had in the T20 World Cup, with 17-year-old Shafali Verma, who couldn't find a place in the ODI squad though she had topped the run-chart for India in the world tournament, partnering Mandhana.

"India have done well in the last couple of years all thanks to the spinners. I wouldn't say they were bad; I felt they were a bit inconsistent in their bowling [in the ODI series]."

"As of now we both, together, have had good partnerships since last two years, so we are looking at the same combination," Mandhana said.

India's 4-1 loss in the ODI series, which head coach WV Raman coach attributed in most part to a lack of "game time", threw into sharp relief South Africa's meticulous planning to flatten the hosts' vaunted spin attack. The Indian spinners averaged 53.15 in the five matches combined, their worst in a women's ODI series/tournament where they bowled 100 or more overs. Their bowling strike rate of 70.7 was also their worst in a series/tournament in the 50-over format.

"[The] spinners have been our biggest strength for the longest time," Mandhana said. "India have done well in the last couple of years all thanks to the spinners. I wouldn't say they were bad; I felt they were a bit inconsistent in their bowling. They were very good in patches and there's was the one odd ball which didn't go our way, or didn't go their way, so that's the talk of being more consistent in pitching the ball in good areas because if you keep pitching the six balls in the same areas, it gets tough as a batter. In T20Is, with just four overs - 24 balls - I think it will be easier for the spinners to focus on the 24 balls rather than the 60 balls. I look at it that way."

Mandhana also said that the BCCI is in talks with its English counterpart about the participation of the Indian players in the Hundred, which begins on July 21, but stressed that a final decision would be contingent upon the schedule of the national team. reported by ESPNcricinfo last month that four India players are on the radar of the Hundred franchises and their involvement in the tournament could come about after India's tour of England, likely starting June, which is set to include a one-off Test.

"The ECB is in talks with the BCCI but we don't have an update yet about it," Mandhana said. "Let's see, it will be highly depending on the schedule what the Indian team will be having because our first priority will definitely be the India matches, so I am sure the BCCI and ECB are working towards it and let's hope to hear something around [the] 100-ball [tournament] from them soon."

India Women T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol, Sushma Verma (wicketkeeper), Nuzhat Parveen (wicketkeeper), Ayushi Soni, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, C. Prathyusha, Simran Bahadur

PERRIS, Calif. – Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian released a revised racing schedule for this season on Thursday afternoon.

The season is slated to begin with the Grand Reopening featuring the PASSCAR Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds on April 10.

The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will begin its 21st season on the famous Riverside County clay oval with the annual Sokola Shootout on April 24. LKQ Pick Your Part will Present the first Night of Destruction on the revised schedule on May 1.

Proceeding the first races will be a pair of practices on March 27 and April 3. The first practice will be for Sprint Cars, Super Stocks, Street Stocks and Modifieds. The second practice on April 3 will be for Night of Destruction Figure 8, Mini Stock, Demo Cross and Double Decker cars. The two practice sessions will not be open to the public.

Click here for the full revised schedule.

SEBRING, Fla. – Perhaps no better venue exists for the continuation of Ryan Dalziel’s racing renaissance than Sebring Int’l Raceway.

His wife, Jessica, is from Sebring. His father-in-law has attended races at the track for decades. He married into a Sebring family, people who know all the race winners and all the crazy infield stories. People who know people who know where the burned couches are buried.

After his first race at the track in 2005, Dalziel stepped out onto a balcony at what was then called the Chateau Elan (now the Seven Sebring Raceway Hotel) and gazed at the aftermath in the infield. “It was like World War III had happened,” he said with a laugh. “It’s calmed down a lot since then.”

In essence, that’s why the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts on Saturday is the fitting race for Dalziel to press forward with a comeback that began victoriously in January at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

He never really went anywhere, mind you, but the past few years weren’t up to Dalziel’s standards. He raced just twice in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2020 and six times in 2019 – all for Starworks Motorsport – after a five-year run with Tequila Patrón Extreme Speed Motorsports ended in 2018.

Not surprisingly, that’s when the self-doubt surfaced.

“I’ve been vocal with this at times,” Dalziel said. “I wouldn’t have hired me during a couple of those seasons.”

He found his way back in January with an emotional victory for Era Motorsport in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class at Daytona. He teamed with Kyle Tilley, Paul-Loup Chatin and Dwight Merriman for a triumph that couldn’t have been more timely or necessary.

“I’ve won Daytona twice now, and both times it’s been equally special but also personally very much needed,” Dalziel said. “When I won it in 2010, I was unemployed. That was a one-off race for me. It led to a full-season program with another team after that and a second-place finish in the championship that year.”

In 2018, Dalziel, an established, multi-faceted racer with a résumé that included the 2012 LMP2 win with Starworks in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, found himself scrambling to find work. He landed a part-time gig in the GT Daytona (GTD) class with Starworks, but he also began to feel uncertain.

“By no means do I think I’m old in the racing world,” said Dalziel, a 38-year-old native of Glasgow, Scotland. “But when you go through droughts, it’s pretty easy to doubt yourself. On the IMSA side, for sure, it’s been a tough few years for me since the Patrón deal ended, just trying to find some security and continuity.”

He found it with Era Motorsport, the Indianapolis-based team founded and operated by Tilley. The group brought its ORECA LMP2 07 to Daytona, qualified seventh in class, then chased down six competitors over 24 hours. The win hit the refresh button on Dalziel’s career.

“It was just a very good, very needed, very well-timed result,” Dalziel said. “It was more of a personal one. Kyle put a lot of hard work into the program, and everybody needed that one. It was definitely pretty special for all of us. But selfishly, it gave me that fire in the belly for endurance racing that I was missing the last couple of years. It definitely reignited all of those feelings about the reason I do this.”

His renewal now turns to Sebring with confidence gained from a team with which he feels comfortable – and successful.

“You always swagger a little bit more going into the next one after winning,” Dalziel said. “It’s one of those teams that has so many good ingredients. That doesn’t mean to say that it always works for other teams like that, but to me it was pretty evident very early on that it did work with this team.”

The site of 15 years of racing memories and volumes of wacky stories is the proper place to bury the doubts and celebrate the renewal. Sebring, welcome a member of your family. He’s back in more ways than one.

“I don’t care what athlete you are or what person you are, it’s impossible to say you don’t start having self-doubts, and I definitely had them,” Dalziel said. “I just kept plugging away. I kept thinking, ‘It’s going to change. It’s going to change.’ And then it did change. It was perseverance.”