Rockets gear up for clash against superstars

HYDERABAD: Ahmedabad Rockets paceman Jason Gillespie hit the nail on its head when he said the difference between his side and Delhi Giants was in the number of sixes hit.
The Rockets, who lost by 13 runs in the opening encounter, will have their hands full against the TimesJobs.com Chennai Superstars, who carved out a six-wicket win over Dhaka Warriors, when they clash in the ICL 20s Indian Championship at the Lal Bahadur Stadium, on Tuesday.
The Rockets were at the receiving end as the Giants struck 12 sixes in their innings. On the other hand, the Rockets were able to get only five over the ropes of which four were hit by RS Sodhi. This factor could well play a major role as the TimesJobs.com Chennai Superstars too have some very big hitters in their ranks.
Openers Ian Harvey and G Vignesh gave ample proof of it when they posted 50 in just 2.5 overs against the Warriors. "We will need to reassess our strategy. The bowlers will have to innovate and see that they are not hit out of the ground," Gillespie said.
Of equal worry for the Rockets is the fact that their top order failed to get going. Barring Parvez Aziz, the others were found wanting and this left Sodhi with too much to do in the little time at his disposal. However, he did bring the Rockets within striking distance with some lusty blows. Maybe it could be a better idea to push Sodhi up the order and let him have a go at the bowling right from the start.
The TimesJobs.com Chennai Superstars are on a high and though skipper Stuart Law is still a doubtful starter for this game, they have enough depth in the batting to cover his loss. ���We have a very balanced side. The domestic players have been in the forefront of contributing to the team���s cause and that is one of the reasons for our consistent performance," R Sathish, who led the side in Law���s absence in the previous game, remarked.
Sources said Law had a hit at the nets on Monday morning but a decision on his availability would be taken on Tuesday morning. "He will play only if he feels comfortable,������ sources said. Sathish will lead the side again if Law is ruled out.
The Superstars��� will have to think of a bowling strategy to contain the rampant Sodhi, who is capable of turning the complexion of the game. "Our bowling is competent and should be able to rise to the challenge," Sathish added.
With the TimesJobs.com Chennai Superstars making a splash in the opening game, expectations of another high-scoring game are sky high.
Teams:
TimesJobs.com Chennai Superstars: Stuart Law (capt), Ian Harvey, Russel Arnold, Shabir Ahmed, Nantie Hayward, R Sathish, Hemang Badani, Vasanth Sarvanan, Thiru Kumaran, Tamil Kumaran, V Devendran, Hemanth Kumar, G Vignesh, Syed Mohammed, J Hariesh, R Jesuraj, P Vivek. Coach: Michael Bevan.
Ahmedabad Rockets: Damien Martyn (capt), Jason Gillespie, Murray Goodwin, Heath Streak, Ryan Campbell, Sriram Sridharan, Sanjiv Martin, Parvez Aziz, Anshu Jain, Sachin Dholpure, Abhishek Tamrakar, Sumit Kalia, RS Sodhi, Rakesh Patel, Pallav Vora, Bhimarao, Baburao Yadav, Kuunal Lall. Coach: John Emburey.