The Jaipur Pink Panthers beat the Tamil Thalaivas 42-27 in their Pro Kabaddi League match at the Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna on Wednesday.
The win meant the Jaipur Pink Panthers have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs this season, with three legs of the league stage yet to be played. As has been his wont this season Arjun Deshwal starred for the Jaipur Pink Panthers with a massive 13 points while the Tamil Thalaivas’ raider Narender picked up 12 in a losing effort.
In a first half defined mostly by extraordinary moments, Narender kicked things off with a super raid to take out Reza Mirbagheri, Ankush and Sunil Kumar to put the Tamil Thalaivas in control. Not to be outdone, Arjun Deshwal responded in kind with a super raid of his own that reduced the Tamil Thalaivas numbers on the mat.
It took a pair of brilliant super tackle from the Thalaivas’ debutant Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi to keep his side in the same and even hold a slender two-point lead as they went into the break.
The second half though was a different game altogether as the Jaipur Pink Panthers banded together and came to the fore to show their championship credentials.
Deshwal’s constant menace had the Tamil Thalaivas scrambling and they inflicted the first all-out of the game to take a 27-20 lead halfway through the second half.
A second all-out with four minutes of the game left ended the contest as the Jaipur Pink Panthers took a massive 37-22 lead. Their misfiring defence which had logged a mere three points in the first half clicked brilliantly to come back with 11 in the second period, a huge reason for their resounding victory.
Patna Pirates and Bengaluru Bulls Play Out Draw
Patna Pirates shared points with the Bengaluru Bulls in a thrilling 28-28 tie during their Pro Kabaddi League meeting on Wednesday.
Sandeep Kumar (14 raid points) and Ankit (8 tackle points) were the star performers for the hosts.
The Bulls fielded a fresh raiding line-up, with Sushil making all the difference in the opening minutes. The youngster came up with a marvellous ‘Super Raid’, putting his side 5-1 ahead, besides reducing the opposition to just two men.
The Pirates, who were missing skipper Sachin, recovered well to avoid the ‘All-Out’ before fighting back through Ankit in defence and raider Sandeep, drawing level at 8-8.
Akshit turned up for the Bulls, chipping away at the Pirates’ defence along with a great chain tackle on Sandeep, leading to the ‘All-Out’ in the 16th minute.
The visitors took a 14-10 lead, as the first half ended with a two-point raid from Pirates leader Manjeet.
Sandeep stepped up big time for the Pirates in the subsequent half, conducting a series of spectacular raids, including two multi-point raids. One of those saw him evade Monu’s attempted ankle hold before landing a running hand touch on Parteek to register his first ‘Super 10’ of the season.
Ankit was also particularly good for the hosts, excelling with a ‘High 5’, as they led 26-25 with five minutes remaining.
In the final few minutes, Sandeep and Ankit teamed up to give the Pirates a one-point lead at 29-28 with less than two minutes on the clock.
The Pirates had two reviews go their way and appeared to be walking away with a victory before Bharat came off the bench for the Bulls and landed a running hand touch on Krishan Dhull in the penultimate raid to tie the scores, thus ending the exciting battle.
As a result, the Pirates became only the second side to remain unbeaten in their home leg this season, along with the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
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