Jaipur, Sept 28:
A buoyant Rajasthan Royals will look to continue their winning streak and inch closer to a place in the semifinal when they take on lowly Perth Scorchers in a Group ‘A’ match of the Champions league Twenty20 here tomorrow.
The hosts have been impressive here right through the IPL and have notched up two successive victories against the formidable Mumbai Indians and the Highveld Lions in the to top the group with eight points.
A depleted Perth Scorchers are, however, languishing at the bottom with two points which they bagged by virtue of their washed out match in Ahmadabad.
The hosts are on a roll and have won 10 consecutive matches here, eight in the IPL-6 and two in the ongoing event.
Thanks to coach Paddy Upton and skipper Rahul Dravid, they have been able to put the spot-fixing scandal behind them and have emerged as a strongly-knit and determined side.
The conditions here make them even stronger as they have the options to meet the demands of the situation. The Jaipur wicket, acclaimed by many as one of the best cricketing pitches, has been their happy hunting ground.
They have a strong batting line-up with a solid opening pair in Ajinkya Rahane and skipper Rahul Dravid. Lower down, the likes of Shane Watson, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny and Brad Hodge have been able to bail them out of tight situations with their all-round abilities.
Local-lad Ashok Menaria and Kevon Cooper have come good with both the bat and ball and veteran Pravin Tambe has shown that RR’s spin department is also up to the mark apart from a pace battery consisting of James Faulkner, Shaun Tait and Watson. (PTI)
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