OGILVIE, Minn. – The United States Modified Touring Series has announced the addition of a tripleheader weekend at Ogilvie Raceway on Aug. 13-15 to the series’ schedule.

Following two nights of qualifying and a pair of $1,000-to-win races the first two nights, the first driver to cross the finish line in Saturday’s main event will pocket a stout $10,000 for his or her efforts. The three-day show will be known as Mod Wars.

The event will coincide with the tenth annual trip for the USMTS to the Wagamon family’s high-banked three-eighths-mile dirt oval where incredible action is always the norm.

The track’s original owners, Corey Owens and Lucas Ostermann, began construction on the new track and entertainment facility in 2008. The 40-acre complex includes over 12,000 square feet of climate-controlled spaces, featuring a full kitchen, bar and restaurant area, hospitality kiosks, display areas, modern restrooms and VIP suites.

The meticulously maintained grounds also include south facing grandstands, high-quality lighting, a state-of-the-art public address system and a trackside tailgating section along the turns where fans can watch the action from the comfort of their car, the back of their pickup truck or in their RV.

In 2015, the Wagamon Family purchased the Ogilvie Raceway. With nearly 60 years as business owners in the automotive industry, they brought a passion for racing to an already great racetrack.

Since then, they have added a large upper-level party room and bar called the Champions Club, and in 2016 an oversized deck was added to allow fans even better viewing and entertainment options.

Stormy Scott has won three times at Ogilvie while Jason Hughes has visited victory lane on two occasions, including the first on Aug. 17, 2011.

Other past USMTS winners here include Jeremy Payne, Jason Krohn, Zack VanderBeek, Jake Timm, Shane Sabraski, Johnny Scott and, most recently, Dan Ebert.

The NHL has invited some of the top women's hockey players to participate at All-Star Weekend for the third straight year. In a new wrinkle, the league created an event just for the women; the NHL is expected to announce that this year's All-Star festivities Jan. 24-25 in St. Louis will include a three-on-three women's scrimmage -- potentially pitting USA vs. Canada.

Just like any time the NHL gets involved with women's hockey, the reaction is going to be mixed. Some people are going to applaud the NHL for using one of its marquee events to help promote the women's game. By inviting women to lace up their skates in St. Louis and compete, the NHL is sharing access to its audience, its broadcast partner, NBC, and the media there to cover it.

The NHL also is giving women a more expanded role at All-Star Weekend. In 2018, the NHL simply invited a handful of players -- including Team USA's Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Hannah Brandt and Amanda Kessel -- to demonstrate drills for the skills competition. It also was out of convenience; the All-Star Game was in Tampa, Florida, and the U.S. women's national team training camp for the PyeongChang Olympics was nearby. In 2019, the NHL flew four women's players out to San Jose, California, to demonstrate the drills again, including Americans and Canadians this time. The league took it a step further by having Kendall Coyne Schofield participate in the fastest skater competition, after she did so well in testing, and her blazing performance created a viral moment.

"Obviously I was a little nervous," Coyne Schofield said afterward. "But I knew it was a moment that was going to break a lot of barriers and a moment that would change the perception of our game."

Some will accuse the NHL of tokenism. All of the women selected to play are part of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, a group of around 200 players boycotting professional hockey this season, while waiting for a more sustainable pro league. And they recently have called on the NHL to help, perhaps by creating a WNHL and a relationship similar to what the NBA and WNBA have. (At the ESPNW summit in October, John Langel, an attorney from Ballard Spahr who has been advising the PWHPA, said: "For the women's team league to survive, they need the established identity that hits the ground running and knows how to run the sport. And we've not been secretive about it. We think the one viable option is the WNHL. And that's what we're moving towards.")

The NHL, for its part, says it will not create a league as long as a current option exists. And since the NWHL is still functioning -- and by some measures, seeing growth this season -- the NHL isn't getting involved. So the NHL is not going to help with what the women really want -- a professional league -- but they will hand-pick events in which they can include women.

Moreover, the NHL surely will see criticism for not including any NWHL players. The NHL has said it doesn't want to choose sides between the NWHL and PHWPA, but they are only inviting players from one side to participate. (Counterpoint: The NHL is trying to invite the most talented players. All of the players it invited are Olympians. It isn't the NHL's fault that the Olympians aren't playing in the NWHL).

And one last critique for the NHL: By creating the 3-on-3 tournament this year, it is shying away from what got so much attention last year -- women competing alongside the men. Coyne Schofield's fastest skater lap wasn't the only big moment. Brianna Decker did so well demonstrating in the passing challenge, fans stormed to social media and demanded that she should in fact collect the $25,000 in NHL prize money, not the men's players who mostly fumbled through it. Decker appeared to record a time of 1 minute, 6 seconds in the demo, which beat the eight NHL player participants, including winner Leon Draisaitl (1:09) The hashtag #PayDecker soon trended on Twitter. The NHL didn't relent -- and said, in fact, the tape showed that Decker's time wouldn't have won -- but the equipment manufacturer CCM decided to pay Decker itself (and in turn, generated a ton of positive public relations).

I've talked to some of the women's players (nobody wanted to go on the record, as the NHL has not officially announced this year's plans). The players are grateful for the opportunity and look forward to collaborating with the NHL. At previous events to which they've been invited, they say the NHL has treated them very well and showed great hospitality, as well as inclusivity. The 3-on-3 tournament, I think, is actually even more beneficial for promoting the women's game, considering we actually get to see them play their game. USA versus Canada in women's hockey is one of the best rivalries in all of sports -- who doesn't want to see it in a fast-paced three-on-three format? NHL All Star weekend is inherently about entertainment, and is only going to add to the entertainment value, not subtract from it. I've also talked to NHL players who are attending All-Star Weekend. They don't mind sharing the stage with women's players at all; they see it as a way to grow the game, period. Patrick Kane, for example, says he has always enjoyed chances to talk shop and trade notes with women's players, and All-Star Weekend is a good opportunity for that.

Here's my take: Let's give kudos to the NHL for being open-minded and opening the door for women's players in the event. But that's just it, the NHL opened the door. The women's players should be recognized for walking through that door and proving themselves. And if you are impressed by what you see, don't wait around for the NHL to do more. Find other ways to support these players and women's hockey.

Jump ahead:
What we liked this week | What we didn't like
Three stars of the week | Biggest games coming up

Emptying the notebook

Rumor is there could be a new skill introduced to spice up the All-Star skills competition. Expect an announcement on Wednesday.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly came on the ESPN On Ice podcast this week and said there is "a concern" from the league about players skipping the All-Star Game becoming a trend, especially in light of Alex Ovechkin opting out for the second straight year. I think it was interesting to hear Daly say he was OK with Ovechkin sitting out last year and was "the first to defend" him but that he wasn't happy about it becoming a regular occurrence. Ovechkin isn't the only player voluntarily missing the festivities in St. Louis. Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury also declined his invite. It was a tough first half of the season for Fleury, who was away from the team for seven days after his father died. "Don't get me wrong. I like going; I think it's a lot of fun," Fleury said. "I love to hang out with the players there. It's a huge honor to be a part of it. I'm sorry to the fans I disappointed for not going. I thought about it. Mentally, physically it was just the right thing."

The Ducks' rep, Jakob Silfverberg, has been one of the only bright spots of their season, but he is skipping it because his wife is due with their second-child in late January, and he would like to be with her. The NHL excused Silfverberg, meaning he will not have to serve the one-game suspension. "I feel it's most important to be with my family at that time," Silfverberg said in a statement. "Thank you to the NHL and the Ducks organization for their support and understanding." Golden Knights' forward Max Pacioretty was named as a replacement, and the Ducks will not have a representative at the game.

I think it is important to note that players skipping out on the event isn't a new phenomenon. Sidney Crosby hasn't exactly been a regular at the event over the years. Pavel Datsyuk, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Toews also have had to serve a one-game suspension for missing the game. (Their excuses ranged from injury to illness.) It doesn't sound as if Daly is interested in upping the punishment for missing the event. The solution, Daly said, is convincing players that All-Star Weekend is important -- and part of their obligations as players. That is difficult to do, now that the precedent has been set.

What we liked this week

• Pekka Rinne became the 12th goalie in NHL history to score a goal, and his reaction was priceless. "I was like a little kid," he said, grinning in a Fox Sports South interview. "I like to handle the puck, so I've always dreamed of scoring a goal. Finally, it happens. I can check that box."

Rinne watching his goal is good wholesome family fun. pic.twitter.com/zDtSu15CcE

— Cam Barra (@CamJBarra) January 10, 2020

• Nobody really knows what's going on with the Rangers and their three-goalie carousel -- general manager Jeff Gorton should address the team's plans soon -- but this moment between Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin, his heir apparent, is so pure. The King looks like he is fine keeping his role as a senior royal and is handling the transition quite well.

Hank telling Igor how to give away the broadway hat is the most wholesome content on the internet pic.twitter.com/7W8mjT0uCt

— Matt (@Shattykirk) January 10, 2020

• He is a quiet guy and often appears stoic, but Connor McDavid does have a personality. And he can nail a deadpan.

#LeafsForever #leafsnation sound up!!! ? pic.twitter.com/32EocMkLOS

— VisuallyBetter (@Isuckatpicking) January 7, 2020

• Maybe the best moment at Little Caesars Arena this season. Love this video.

Sound goes out at LCA and Red Wings fans chip in with an assist on the Canadian Anthem pic.twitter.com/KwJXaQIxSn

— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) January 8, 2020

• I thought Patrik Laine scoring from the high slot would be the moment we would all be talking about in Jets-Maple Leafs tilt. Then Blake Wheeler one-upped Laine with the game winner -- and the ice-cold celebration afterward.

?Blake Wheeler - shootout winner
4-3 #GoJetsGo pic.twitter.com/cgJEG0nDaO

— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) January 9, 2020

• Cute video of former NHLer Scott Hartnell re-creating the McDavid goal with his kid.

The #McDavidChallenge needs to be a thing. Unreal first entry from @Hartsy43... the slash at the end really makes it. ?

(?: @Hartsy43)
pic.twitter.com/qPoER0vJgc

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 7, 2020

• A neat moment in Corey Perry's return to Anaheim.

Corey Perry got emotional as he was surprised prior to tonight's game by a gathering of former Ducks teammates, executives and 50 kids from the Learn to Play program co-sponsored by Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, as they honored his distinguished career in Anaheim and 1,000 NHL games. pic.twitter.com/QUv0PPPT1n

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 10, 2020

What we didn't like this week

• The Battle of Alberta was reignited, all right, with Zack Kassian and Matthew Tkachuk getting heated on the ice -- with big hits from Tkachuk and retaliation from Kassian -- and off it, with some sparring words in their respective dressing rooms following the game. Kassian is getting a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Monday for roughing/being an aggressor, and I would expect a multiple-game suspension. I was surprised to see the Department of Player Safety say there would be no supplemental discipline for Tkachuk. As Ray Ferraro mentioned on Twitter, these hits feel similar to the ones "Raffi Torres used to throw that the league eventually said were penalties. Any hit from above goal line to player coming from below." This hit, in particular, felt egregious to me and like something the NHL would want out of the game.

This was Tkachuk's first hit on Kassian tonight, which to me, is far more egregious than anything else that followed it. pic.twitter.com/oIMAevXgpw

— zach laing (@zjlaing) January 12, 2020

• I'm wondering how general managers will handle long-term mega contracts for goalies going forward -- especially with the emerging trend of workload management. It can't be lost that the two goalies who have allowed the most goals this season -- Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price -- are also the two highest-paid netminders in the league, both making more than $10 million. And the guy who has allowed the third-most goals, John Gibson, ranks sixth in goalie salary ($6.4 million), although there are plenty of other reasons for the Ducks' leaky defense other than Gibson.

• I think the Sharks are the easiest pick to be "this year's Blues." They are a veteran team with serious Stanley Cup aspirations but have played poorly during the first half of the season. They've already made a coaching switch, and that didn't spark an immediate turnaround. Now they'll be without Logan Couture (fractured left ankle) for approximately six weeks.

• A scary situation unfolded in the Toronto Marlies locker room ahead of Friday night's scheduled game against the Texas Stars. Marlies assistant coach Rob Davison suffered a prolonged grand mal seizure, which was witnessed by both players and staff. The 39-year-old Davison was transported immediately to a local hospital. He was discharged the next day, and he is on an indefinite medical leave from the team. Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas consulted with the Marlies' leadership group, and together they made a joint decision not to play in the game, therefore forfeiting. "The entire team was in a state of shock and not comfortable proceeding with tonight's game," Dubas said in a statement. "We fully support our players and staff in this matter." Kudos to the Marlies and Stars medical teams as well as those on cite at the HEB Center for their urgent response, and all the best to Davison in his recovery.

Three Stars

Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are back, and so is Vasilevskiy. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner picked up three wins in three starts this week, with two shutouts. He allowed just two goals total, giving him a 0.67 goals against and blistering .972 save percentage for the week.

Tony DeAngelo, D, New York Rangers

DeAngelo had quite a night on Thursday, becoming the first Rangers defenseman to record a regular-season hat trick in nearly 38 years -- and the second ever to notch a five-point outing. The 24-year-old had seven points in three games this week.

Elias Lindholm, C, Calgary Flames

The 25-year-old scored the first goal, as well as the game winner, in the heated Battle of Alberta on Saturday night. It was his second two-goal performance in the past three games; he also scored both of Calgary's goals in a 2-1 win against the Blackhawks.

Games of the week

Monday: Carolina Hurricanes at Washington Capitals (ESPN+)

The Caps have lost four of their past five to Metropolitan Division foes, and their games against the Canes -- who knocked them out of the playoffs last spring -- are always intense. This is the final regular-season matchup between these two; Carolina holds a 2-1 season lead. It also is a showcase of the two leaders in the Norris Trophy race -- Washington's John Carlson and Carolina's Dougie Hamilton

Thursday: Arizona Coyotes at Vancouver Canucks

The Pacific Division race is turning out to be a good one after all. The top five teams are separated by just three points. Arizona and Vancouver are both in the mix. The Yotes are hoping that the return of top blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson -- coming back from a 43-game absence -- can help separate them from the pack. The Canucks have won nine of their past 11. Quinn Hughes was voted into the All-Star Game (joining Elias Pettersson), making it three straight years the Canucks will send a rookie to the event.

Sunday: Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins

This will be the second time these teams face off this week. (The first is on Thursday, airing on ESPN+.) These have been two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference for the first half of the season, and the Penguins are expected to welcome back Sidney Crosby this week. Pittsburgh did quite well in 29 games without him, recording the best record by points percentage in the league during that span (19-6-4).

Quote of the week

After scoring one of the most memorable goals of the season, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne is apparently channeling another legendary Finnish NHLer:

Called to Pekka Rinne. He picked up: "It's Pekka Selänne, how you doing?"#Preds #NHLfi

— Tommi Seppälä (@TommiSeppala) January 10, 2020

Lost in the craziness of Sunday night's wild finish at the Sony Open was a most disappointing end to an otherwise-solid week for Collin Morikawa.

Morikawa, who won his first PGA Tour title as a non-member last summer at the Barracuda Championship, was 1 over for the day but appeared headed for a final round of even-par 70 as he stared down a short putt for birdie at the par-5 18th.

Instead, he three-putted from 4 feet, racing the first putt by the hole and lipping out the comebacker for bogey and a round of 2-over 72.

Just how expensive were those short misses?

A birdie, a 7-under finish and a four-way tie for ninth would have netted $173,250.

A par, a 6-under finish and a 10-way tie for 12th would have still paid out $112,530.

As for Morikawa, his bogey, 5-under finish and seven-way tie for 21st amounted to $64,350.

That all said, the 22-year-old has already earned more than $2.3 million in 15 starts as a professional and is arguably the most promising prospect on Tour. So he's got that going for him, which is nice.

Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon have met to discuss the possibility of Bruno Fernandes moving to Old Trafford in January, sources have told ESPN.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas and United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward were present at a meeting at the club's Mayfair offices on Friday with discussions set to continue this week.

- When does the transfer window reopen?
- All major completed transfer deals

United are remaining tight-lipped about the prospect of signing the Portugal international but Sporting are pushing for a deal as they look to ease their financial difficulties. The meeting took place after intermediaries were asked to contact United at Sporting's request.

United looked at Fernandes in the summer but were eventually put off by Sporting's €80 million asking price. However, a combination of Sporting lowering their valuation to around €60m, plus injuries to midfielders Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, has prompted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the recruitment team to reignite their interest, although an agreement is yet to be reached.

Sources have told ESPN that the 25-year-old, who has had a spell in Italy with Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria, is keen to join Solskjaer's side after seeing a move to Tottenham fall through during the last transfer window.

Sporting have tried to encourage Tottenham to enter a bidding war with United this month but Spurs are close to agreeing an 18-month loan deal with Benfica for 21-year-old midfielder Gedson Fernandes.

Solskjaer is struggling for options in midfield after seeing Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera depart and losing Pogba and McTominay to injury.

Pogba has undergone an operation to remove bone fragments from his ankle and is not expected to be back until February while McTominay has been ruled out for two months after damaging knee ligaments against Newcastle on Boxing Day. It has led United to rebuff interest in Nemanja Matic and the Serbian is now set to stay at Old Trafford until at least the summer.

Fernandes, capped 19 times by Portugal, enjoyed a stellar season at Sporting last year, scoring 31 goals in 52 games from midfield. He has got 15 in 24 this term.

Enjoy Sergio Aguero while you can. The Manchester City striker's contract at the Etihad expires in the summer of 2021 and, if the Argentine sticks to his oft-stated plan of returning to boyhood club Independiente when it runs out, we will only have another season-and-a-half to appreciate his brilliance.

Aguero's status as one of the best strikers in the world is without question. For more than a decade, the 31-year-old has torn defences apart with Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, both domestically and in the Champions League.

He can do the routine and the spectacular, equally capable of beating a goalkeeper from 30 yards as tapping one in on, inches from the goal-line. He also scores "heavy" goals too -- the professional parlance for big goals in big games -- and his title-winning strike for City against Queens Park Rangers in 2012, when he scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to win the league for his club, is as memorable and iconic as it gets.

But after Aguero eclipsed Arsenal legend Thierry Henry on Sunday by becoming the highest-scoring non-English player in Premier League history, it is fair to question whether he gets the acclaim and recognition that he truly deserves.

Aguero went into Sunday's 6-1 victory against Aston Villa at Villa Park with an identical record to Henry, having scored 174 goals in 254 Premier League games. His hat-trick against Villa took him to 177 in 255, moving him level with Chelsea boss Frank Lampard in fourth position on the list of the Premier League's all-time top scorers, and he also went past Alan Shearer in the all-time hat trick count by scoring his 12th against Dean Smith's team.

Even if Aguero has just one-and-a-half seasons left in England, you would expect him to surpass Lampard and Andy Cole (187 goals) in third place and become only the third player to break the 200-goal barrier in the Premier League behind Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208).

Yet while Aguero is rightly lauded as a legendary figure by City supporters, is he under-appreciated by fans elsewhere? He was only named on the PFA Premier League Team of the Year for the first time in 2018, despite arriving at the club in 2011! And when the question is asked about the best, or most influential, foreign player to play in the Premier League, the same old names are often thrown up.

Henry is an obvious contender, having been a dominant force for Arsenal before, during and after their Invincible season in 2003-04; Eric Cantona also gets a regular mention because of the transformative effect he had on Manchester United during the 1990s following his arrival from Leeds in November 1992; Chelsea fans will always hail Gianfranco Zola's impact at Stamford Bridge; while it won't take long before Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are elevated to similar status at Liverpool.

But Aguero always seems to slip under the radar, despite his incredible record at City since arriving from Atletico Madrid nine years ago. He has now scored more goals than Henry and has won twice as many Premier League titles as the Frenchman (4-2 in Aguero's favour).

Cantona won as many titles as Aguero and more FA Cups -- and the passage of time since he retired in 1997 has perhaps diminished memories of his contribution -- but he was never as consistent in front of goal as the City man and his performances in the Champions League did not come close to the standards set by Aguero.

Despite scoring some great goals and helping to change the mentality at Chelsea, Zola never won a Premier League title during his time in England and, while Van Dijk and Salah are likely to do that this season at Liverpool, they cannot come close to matching Aguero in terms of his longevity.

Aguero has broken the 20-goal barrier in six of his eight full seasons at City and he already has 13 this time around, so that gives you an idea of his consistency at the very highest level. But perhaps Aguero's low-key persona is a reason for his failure to claim the recognition he deserves.

Nine years after arriving in England, he remains uncomfortable speaking publicly in English, so has been unable to connect with supporters and a wider audience in the same way that the articulate and outspoken Henry did at Arsenal.

Aguero does not seek publicity or use the media to his advantage and playing for City has also impacted on his status beyond the Etihad. United, Liverpool and Arsenal are much bigger clubs on a global scale than City and command far greater media attention. They also have far deeper reservoirs of supporters who help raise the profile of their star players.

If Aguero had spent his Premier League career playing in red, he would almost certainly be held in the same regard as Henry and Cantona. But whatever the reason for his lack of true recognition, Aguero's record speaks for itself and he will continue to score goals for City until the day he packs his bags for Argentina.

The modern-day pretenders to his crown as the best striker in the league -- Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Harry Kane -- need to do it as consistently, and win as many trophies, as Aguero before they can even come close to challenging his status as the best of the best.

Big Picture

For the first time since being pumped by England in the World Cup semi-finals, Australia return to ODI cricket as they begin plotting their path for the next three-and-a-half years. India are both the hosts in 2023 and where Australia's rejuvenation as a one-day side kicked into gear last year as they made a late sprint to be World Cup contenders with a memorable come-from-behind 3-2 series victory.

While some senior figures have been retained there is a fresh feel, particularly in the batting, with Peter Handscomb and Ashton Turner - both of whom starred on the last India tour before being squeezed out of the World Cup - back in the mix alongside the uncapped Marnus Labuschagne, who will be looking to transfer his stunning Test form into the one-day arena.

The 'big three' of the Test attack - Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood - are also back together while there has been an interesting decision to move away from a number of allrounders for a variety of reasons: Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh are currently lighting up the BBL.

The next World Cup is a long time away so a lot can change - and probably will - between now and then (captain Aaron Finch will be 36 by then) but there are the staging posts of two T20 World Cups and it will be interesting to see how closely Australia bring their two limited-overs sides.

As ever, India bring a fearsome ODI top three with their main questions lower down the order around the balance of the side, which was an issue during the World Cup. Hardik Pandya remains sidelined by injury and there continues to be a juggle for spots in the middle order with Kedar Jadhav being persisted with and Shivam Dube given his debut against West Indies.

Form guide

(last five completed matches)

India WWLWW
Australia LLWWW

In the spotlight

Jasprit Bumrah is set to play his first ODI since the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand after recovering from a stress fracture of his back. He has eased back into action in the T20I series against Sri Lanka and this will be another step up ahead of the all-formats tour of New Zealand. In 11 ODIs against Australia, Bumrah's average (29.82) and economy rate (5.07) are the second-highest of his career although it remains a very fine record.

Josh Hazlewood did not hide his disappointment at missing the World Cup after the selectors opted to save him for the Ashes following the stress fracture he sustained early last year. Now, having returned from a hamstring injury picked up against New Zealand in Perth, he has the chance to resume his ODI career - during which he was ranked the No. 1 bowler in 2017 - and form a strong pace attack in a country where he has never played a one-dayer

Team news

India could now play all three of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan, Kohli said on Monday. If they want to retain Ravindra Jadeja as the fifth bowling option at No. 7 and Kedar Jadhav as the sixth at No. 6, they might have to leave out Rishabh Pant and give Rahul the keeping gloves. With Jasprit Bumrah back in the ODI side, they may have to leave one out of Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini, if they want Shardul Thakur's batting contribution from No. 8.

India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 KL Rahul (wk), 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Shami/Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

Steven Smith will return to No. 3, which opens the possibility of a debut for Labsuchagne at No. 4. The interesting decision is how Australia balance the side with Ashton Agar a candidate for the role at No. 7 to give five bowling options although it will lengthen the lower order.

Australia (probable): 1 David Warner, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

It was unusually overcast in Mumbai on Monday morning before the sun shone through, and the ground staff kept refreshing the pitch with an occasional sprinkle of water. It had a thin layer of grass, and with dew likely to kick in in the evening, teams will be tempted to bowl first. Expect another high-scoring game in Mumbai, with memories still fresh of India scoring 240 in a T20I against West Indies last month.

Stats and Trivia

• David Warner needs 10 runs to reach 5000 in ODIs - he has plenty of innings in hand to become the fastest Australian to the landmark. Dean Jones did it in 128 innings, Warner has currently batted in 114

• Pat Cummins needs four wickets for 100 in ODIs; the last time he, Starc and Hazlewood played an ODI together was November 2018

• Kuldeep Yadav needs one wicket to reach 100 in ODIs

Quotes

"I think we, along with Australia, are probably the top two sides in the world, as far as the balance is concerned. Whether it's (the series) relevant or irrelevant, that's for people to decide. But we as a team are excited to play Australia, in our conditions, to test ourselves against the best."
Virat Kohli on playing against Australia, who won their last ODI series in India 3-2

"Part of the recipe for success we had here last time was being able to come up with the solution to combat the world-class spinners that India do have and no doubt their spinners will bowl a lot of overs through the middle overs of these one-day games and a lot of times in a lot of games that's where the game is won or lost."
Australia batsman Ashton Turner

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan are both in form in the lead-up to India's ODI series against Australia starting Tuesday, and India captain Virat Kohli revealed that playing both of them, along with Rohit Sharma, in the XI could be a possibility. Rahul and Dhawan opened together and made useful contributions in the recent T20Is against Sri Lanka, and with the return of Sharma, who was rested for the T20Is, it appeared that India would be forced to pick one out of Dhawan and Rahul. But India are now considering a new combination for the upcoming ODIs.

"All guys in form is always a good thing for the team," Kohli said in Mumbai, where the three-match series begins. "You don't want a guy out of form for him not to start in the XI. You obviously want to have the best players available and then choose from what the combination should be for the team. We'll figure out what combination we want to go in with, there's a possibility all three might play."

Rahul has been in more prolific form of late, having scored three half-centuries and a century against West Indies in three T20Is and as many ODIs, before making 54 and 45 against Sri Lanka in the T20Is. Dhawan missed the games against West Indies with an injury and he slotted back straight in the XI against Sri Lanka in Sharma's absence, finishing the series with an impressive 52 off 36 to stake his claim for the opening slot again.

Playing Sharma, Dhawan and Rahul together would push Kohli to No. 4 and Shreyas Iyer to No. 5, but that would then create a problem for the lower order. India will be forced to pick one out of Rishabh Pant and Kedar Jadhav for No. 6 as dislodging Ravindra Jadeja from the No. 7 slot would reduce the bowling options to four. Kohli said he was "very happy" to move from his usual No. 3 spot to accommodate the in-form batsmen, but he did not say anything about the lower-order combination.

"Yeah, big possibility, very happy to [change my batting position]," Kohli said. "I'm not possessive about where I play and I'm not insecure about where I bat. Being the captain of the team, it's my job to make sure that the next lot is also ready as well. A lot of the other people might not look at it that way but your job as the captain is not only to look after the team right now but also to prepare a team that you can leave behind when you eventually pass it on to someone else.

"So I think these are times where you need to be aware, it's very easy to get into a personal zone saying, 'no, I need to get runs'. It's not like that, it doesn't work like that. The vision has to be always on the larger picture and figure out how you can make these guys more confident. If at all someone has to take responsibility, it should be me and give the other guys opportunities as well. I'm very open to it and I really want to see guys stepping up and taking responsibility. That's part and parcel of being captain and it's good to see players finding their game, realising their own potential when you're captain. I think that's probably the most satisfying thing you can feel as a captain."

In order to slot both Jadhav and Jadeja, India could consider leaving Pant out, hand the wicketkeeping gloves to Rahul and play Jadhav at No. 6 as the sixth bowling option. Batting coach Vikram Rathour had said on Sunday they had not considered that option then, but the management was open to giving it a thought.

"Rohit is an obvious choice, of course. Shikhar and Rahul are playing well, Shikhar has done tremendously well in one-dayers, Rahul is in great form. There are still a couple of days to go, the management will sit down and make a choice. I don't see an issue, one of them will have to sit out, so that's okay," Rathour had said.

When asked if Rahul would keep, he had said: "We haven't really started thinking on those lines yet. At this point I think Pant is the first wicketkeeping option. Rahul can keep, that's a skill he has so it will depend if the team management feels at any stage we require that."

Chattogram Challengers 147 for 3 (Gayle 38, Mahmudullah 34*) beat Dhaka Platoon 144 for 8 (Shadab 64*, Emrit 3-23) by seven wickets

Chattogram Challengers ensured themselves a second crack at the BPL final, after they beat Dhaka Platoon by seven wickets, in the Eliminator match. Rayad Emrit, Rubel Hossain and Nasum Ahmed set up their win, picking up seven wickets in the first 12.4 overs, before Imrul Kayes and Mahmudullah completed the chase with 14 balls to spare.

Chris Gayle played the anchor role for a change as Ziaur Rahman and Kayes hit five sixes and four boundaries between them, to power Chattogram to 91 in the first 12.3 overs, before Mahmudullah hammered four sixes in his unbeaten 34 off just 14 balls to complete the chase.

But Chattogram would have to thank their bowlers for restricting Dhaka to a middling 144 for 8 in 20 overs, which ultimately gave them the easy chase.

Rubel v Tamim

Dhaka fell into early trouble when Rubel pinned Tamim Iqbal to the crease in the first over of the match. After surviving a caught-behind shout off the first ball, Rubel delivered a superb yorker as well nearly trapping the left-hander lbw. Rubel would have to wait until the following over to get his man as Tamim fell for 3 off 10 balls.

Emrit's two-wicket over

With Dhaka in early strife, Chattogram sensed the chance to take control of proceedings. Emrit, a BPL regular despite a lack of noteworthy performances, struck twice in his second over. First he removed the dangerous Mahedi Hasan, and followed it up with the dismissal of Jaker Ali next ball, caught behind for a duck. To top off a fine bowling performance, Emrit removed Mominul Haque to reduce Dhaka to 52 for 6 in the 11th over, before finishing with superb figures of 3 for 23 off his four overs.

Shadab's late charge

Dhaka have been sending Shadab up the order in many of the matches but it was only in this game when the Pakistan allrounder gave them a batting boost. When his compatriot Asif Ali fell in the 13th over, Dhaka were 60 for 7, but Shadab picked things up with a 41-ball unbeaten 64. He struck five fours and three sixes, most of them coming in the last three overs in which Dhaka took 51 runs. Shadab's contribution, much of which came in the two 40-odd stands he had with Thisara Perera and Mashrafe Mortaza, gave Dhaka some breathing space with a 144-run total.

Kayes faster than Gayle

It was a remarkable sight: Kayes dominating a 49-run stand with Gayle. But by the time he fell to Shadab in the 13th over, Chattogram had set themselves a good platform in the chase. Kayes made 32 of the 49 runs, having struck three sixes and a four in his 22-ball knock. Gayle only contributed 13 runs to the partnership, before falling for 38 off 49 balls in an innings that wasn't very Gayle-esque.

Mashrafe's one-handed catch

Fielding at short fine-leg, Dhaka captain Mashrafe must have hoped that none of Gayle's swipes or sweeps come his way. Mashrafe had injured his left hand in Dhaka's previous game, requiring 14 stitches. He had faced two deliveries during his 40-run unbroken ninth wicket stand with Shadab, and had bowled four overs.

But for any cricketer with a hand injury, fielding must be the most traumatic experience. Mashrafe was at least lucky that the Gayle catch was off a top-edge, and struck quite tamely. He put out his right hand, and took it one-handed, much to the crowd's delight. It was all too late though as his opposite number Mahmudullah took care of the business of chasing down the moderate total.

GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- Jadeveon Clowney said his priority in free agency will be to play for a contender.

"I just want to win," the defensive end said after the Seattle Seahawks' season came to an end with a 28-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Lambeau Field. "I'm trying to get to the Super Bowl by any means. That's what I'm looking for: Who's going to get me there? I ain't looking to get on no sorry team for no money. That ain't going to fly. I ain't gonna put my body through all of that just to lose no 16 games, go home with my check. I'd hate that, so that ain't what I'm doing. So if I can't win no Super Bowl, I ain't going to no team that can't win."

Clowney, who turns 27 next month, headlines the list of Seahawks scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in March and will be one of the top available pass-rushers on the market. His first order of offseason business will be to determine if he'll have surgery on the core-muscle injury that has plagued him since Week 10. He said he probably will, though Clowney decided to put off surgery after a November visit to Dr. William Meyers, a core-muscle specialist in Philadelphia.

"I even don't know if I showed anything," Clowney said when asked about playing through the injury as opposed to having in-season surgery that would have sidelined him for several weeks. "I just want to show it to my team. I don't care about what anybody else sees. These guys in the locker room know what I was dealing with. They knew that I was going to get to Sunday and let it all hang out, and that's what they asked for.

"They tell me every week: 'Thank you for not quitting on us and not giving up.' I said, 'Y'all ain't never got to worry about that with me.' If I can go, I'm going to go. That's what it is. If I was able to go the rest of the season, fight for them, I was going to fight for them."

Clowney was one of the Seahawks' most impactful defenders despite his low sack total. He finished with only three sacks in the regular season, then had one in the wild-card round and a half-sack Sunday against Green Bay to go with seven tackles. However, he finished fifth in the regular season in ESPN's Pass Rush Win Rate, at 24.8%. That ESPN metric, which is powered by NFL Next Gen Stats, measures how often a defender beats his blocker in 2.5 seconds or less.

Clowney also scored a pair of defensive touchdowns this season. His hit on Carson Wentz last weekend, which didn't draw a flag or a league fine, knocked the Eagles quarterback out of Seattle's wild-card win.

The Seahawks acquired Clowney in a trade with the Houston Texans in late August and agreed to not use the franchise or transition tag on him after this season. That was after he nixed a trade to the Miami Dolphins, later telling NFL Network that he didn't want to play for a team that was "gonna tank the season for a damn quarterback."

"It's been great," he said of his time with the Seahawks. "It's been great. Great experience. I met a great group of guys. I just told them, 'I appreciate everyone in this locker room because I didn't know how it was going to go when I got to Seattle' ... so I walked in laughing and giggling. They've been accepting me ever since. I think it was a good experience."

The No. 1 overall pick in 2014, Clowney played on a fifth-year team option in 2018 and a one-year, $15 million deal this season, meaning he has played six NFL seasons without reaching unrestricted free agency. His 2019 deal, which replaced his franchise-tag tender, included a $7 million signing bonus paid by Houston. The Seahawks have been eligible to negotiate an extension with Clowney since the end of the regular season.

"We have a lot of respect for him, the whole organization," linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "Myself, I don't know what that injury feels like, but I know it's tough playing through an injury ... so we've got a lot of respect for him. We appreciate him coming out there and giving everything he's got. He's been a great player, great teammate, and he's definitely somebody that deserves everything that's coming his way."

The majority of the Seahawks' pending UFAs are offensive or defensive linemen, including Clowney, Jarran Reed, Ezekiel Ansah, Al Woods, Quinton Jefferson, Germain Ifedi, Mike Iupati and George Fant. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks is another.

The Seahawks are projected to have more than $61 million in 2020 cap space, according to ESPN's Roster Management System data.

"It would be amazing," Wagner said of the possibility of getting Clowney back. "You have a playmaker, have, like I said, a great teammate, a great person, and to have that dominant good person in your room, on your team, is something that we would definitely love. But, obviously, business is business."

Mike Trout, the player with the most significant contract in baseball, does not play for the Dodgers. Neither does Bryce Harper, who has the second-biggest contract, nor Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, Manny Machado, Nolan Arenado, Albert Pujols, Stephen Strasburg, Anthony Rendon, etc., etc. In fact, the biggest financial obligation that the Dodgers have with any individual player is $46.6 million, owed to Clayton Kershaw for 2020 and 2021.

The Dodgers haven't and won't announce the details of Andrew Friedman's newly signed contract, but based on his last deal and industry precedent, it's likely that the Dodgers owe more money, as of this morning, to their head of baseball operations than to anybody in uniform.

But it would be misleading to say the Dodgers haven't spent big money, or aren't going to spend. Since Frank McCourt agreed to sell the franchise to the group headed by Guggenheim, L.A. has consistently had one of the largest -- if not the largest -- payrolls in the majors.

2013: $220 million (2nd)
2014: $209 million (1st)
2015: $272 million (1st)
2016: $254 million (1st)
2017: $226 million (1st)
2018: $191 million (3rd)
2019: $197 million (4th)

The Dodgers' investments have paid off, with seven consecutive National League West championships and an average of about 96 wins -- over 1,000 games of dominance. Their average margin in winning the West has been about nine games, and if you ask a lot of evaluators with other teams, they will tell you that the Dodgers have the best players, by far, and the most efficient organization.

But as every Dodgers fan and every Dodgers player is well aware, the team still hangs on the memory of Kirk Gibson's miracle home run in 1988 because L.A. hasn't won the World Series since. Just one championship would change the perception of what the Dodgers have accomplished since Friedman took over, and they've come so very close -- falling in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series to the Astros, who will soon be hammered with penalties for illicit sign stealing, and losing to the Red Sox in '18. They began the NL playoffs last fall as the favorites, but were beaten by the eventual champion Nationals in the divisional round.

They've worked to find the finishing pieces, whether it be the addition of the best available starting pitcher in the 2017 summer market (Yu Darvish) or the best position player before the 2018 trade deadline (Manny Machado).

The perception of a lot of Dodgers fans is that they haven't gone all-in. Bill Plaschke wrote about this the other day, and spoke with club president Stan Kasten about it, and the biggest reason for that feeling is that under Friedman, they haven't grabbed one of the mega-contract players. The most expensive players have landed elsewhere.

And you know what? That's been a good thing for the Dodgers.