At the Patliputra Indoor Stadium, amidst an enthusiastic home crowd, Patna Pirates showcased a stellar defensive performance in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10, defeating Gujarat Giants 32-20 on Monday, thereby ascending to fourth in the standings. The Pirates' defence, particularly Ankit with 6 points and Krishan with 5 points, played a pivotal role in securing the win, contributing an impressive 15 tackle points.
The match was marked by its low-scoring nature, with Patna Pirates' defense consistently thwarting Gujarat Giants' efforts, despite being outnumbered on the field for much of the game. Gujarat Giants' raiders, Parteek Dahiya and Nitin, managed to score touch points, but failed to capitalize during crucial moments.
The duo of Krishan and Ankit displayed exceptional skill in executing Super Tackles at crucial times, keeping the Patna Pirates in contention and limiting the deficit to just two points by halftime.
The second half mirrored the first, with Gujarat Giants maintaining pressure but unable to secure an All-Out. Fazel Atrachali, the Iranian player, had an off night, failing to score any points and recording five unsuccessful tackles.
In the final three minutes, the Pirates turned the game around. Sandeep Kumar's successful Do-or-Die raid, yielding three touch points, initiated the Gujarat Giants’ downfall. The Pirates then clinched their first and only All-Out of the match, extending their lead to 30-19 with just a minute remaining, ultimately sealing their victory on the back of their formidable defense.
Haryana Steelers edge out Bengal Warriors
Haryana Steelers boosted their playoff prospects with a decisive 41-36 victory over Bengal Warriors. Leading the charge for Haryana Steelers were Shivam Patare with 12 points and Siddharth Desai with 11 raid points, while Bengal Warriors' captain Maninder Singh, scoring 13 raid points, stood out for his team.
The match began tightly, with Bengal Warriors trailing slightly at 8-9 in the first half. However, Haryana Steelers gained momentum thanks to effective raiding by Vinay and Shivam, securing a 16-12 lead.
Bengal Warriors’ Maninder Singh then delivered a Super Raid, grabbing three vital points when his team was reduced to a single player. Vaibhav Garje’s Super Tackle on Shivam turned the tide, giving Bengal Warriors an 18-16 edge at halftime.
The second half saw a resilient Haryana Steelers, despite starting with just three players, make a comeback spearheaded by Siddharth’s powerful raiding. His four-point haul from consecutive raids led to an All-Out, putting Haryana Steelers ahead at 24-22.
Maintaining their lead, Siddharth achieved a Super 10 with a multi-point raid, followed by a two-point raid from Shivam. Haryana Steelers then intensified their attack, combining aggressive tackling and strategic raiding to secure a second All-Out by the 33rd minute, leading by 37-29 with seven minutes remaining.
Bengal Warriors attempted a comeback, with Maninder achieving a Super 10 and reducing Haryana to just two defenders. However, their effort fell short as Haryana Steelers clinched a double victory over Bengal Warriors.
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