It was all one-way traffic in match 37 of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 8 as Bengaluru Bulls beat Jaipur Pink Panthers comprehensively by 38-31 to go top of the table. An inspired first-half performance from Pawan Sehrawat was the difference maker as he picked a sensational 18 points in the match. For the Panthers, it was their third defeat in a row as their dismal run continues.
One-sided first half
The Bulls started the match firing on all cylinders as they manufactured an early lead. Sehrawat was the difference maker as he grabbed hold of 14 points in the first half to help his side establish early dominance. The Panthers were all out in the first half courtesy of 10 successful raids from Sehrawat. At one stage the Bulls had a ten-point lead when the scoreboard read 20-10. However, thanks to Arjun Deshwal (6) and Naveen (3) the Panthers managed to reduce the gap at 14-20 at halftime.
Bulls dominate the first 10 minutes of the second half
The teams started evenly in the first five minutes of the second half as both teams were reluctant to give points away. However, substitute More G made a superb contribution in defense with three successful tackles as the Bulls once showed their ‘A-game'. Their dominance was highlighted with 10 minutes to go as the Bulls struck another all-out, expanding their lead to 15. Going into the final quarter the Panthers were hardly in the contest as they looked deflated, the scoreline read in the 30th minute read 32-17.
Bulls take foot off the pedal in the final 10 minutes
With early second-half dominance, the Bulls had 16 points lead at one stage as they were in the driving seat. But the Panthers made a storming comeback as they managed to take a point away from the contest with damage limitation. Deshwal's 13-point haul saw them lose by a seven-point margin as had something to show on the points table.
The win sees the Bulls go top of the pile with 28 points, leapfrogging Dabang Delhi (26) in the process. The Bulls are now six unbeaten in season 8 of the PKL, winning five and losing just once in the current season. For the Panthers, though it was back to drawing boards, as they now have lost three matches in a row, losing momentum at the wrong time. They have 12 points from six games, winning two and losing the other four. The Bulls next are in action on Sunday (January 9) against UP Yoddha while the Panthers take on rock bottom Puneri Paltan on Friday (January 7).
