Bengaluru Bulls returned to winning ways on Tuesday as it beat UP Yoddha 31-26 in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL 8). Bulls skipper Pawan Sehrawat scored nine raid points for the Bulls, but it was the side's defence that made the difference with left corner Aman picking up a High 5 (seven tackle points).
The result saw Bengaluru Bulls remain on the second spot, while UP Yoddha earned a point to move a spot up to sixth.
Bengaluru Bulls went into the match having won just one game in six matches and began on the front foot. With the ace defenders in Saurabh Nandal and Aman back in the starting seven, the Bulls kept the UP Yoddha raiders quiet for large parts. The UP Yoddha defence outshone its raiding department as captain Nitesh Kumar picked up a High-5, but it was not enough.
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Pawan kept chipping away at the UP Yoddha defence and helped his side clinch an All Out, the only of the game, with less than five minutes left in the first half. Bharat also contributed in raids as the Bulls ended the half leading 19-13.
UP Yoddha matched the Bulls blow for blow in the early minutes of the second half. Surender Gill nearly did the unthinkable and seemed to have gotten a five-point Super Raid that would have also inflicted an All Out, but the video replay showed that he was short of the mid-line by less than a millimeter.
Bengaluru Bulls’ corner combination curtailed Yoddha’s growing momentum and Pardeep Narwal struggled to get going. He managed just four points in 12 raids. Pawan and co held on to the lead and UP Yoddha, lacking a proper raider today, failed to mount a comeback.
- Gujarat Giants thrashes Bengal Warriors -
Gujarat Giants made it two wins in two days by beating defending champion Bengal Warriors 34-25 in the first match of the evening.
Gujarat Giants’ raiders, Ajay Kumar and Pardeep Kumar scored 16 points amongst themselves to steer the side to th win. The defence also came good as it restricted Bengal Warriors captain Maninder Singh to nine points.
The first half was closely-fought with little to separate the two sides. Gujarat Giants’ left corner Ravinder Pahal suffered an early injury to his knee and had to be replaced by Iranian Hadi Oshtorak. The Giants took an early lead in the match, but Bengal Warriors found its way back, inspired by Ran Singh’s Super Tackle.
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The lead kept changing hands in the first half with the Giants going on top once again through a three-point Super Raid by Pardeep Kumar in the ninth minute, but Bengal Warriors immediately clawed its way back with a two-point raid from Maninder. The opening half ended with the Gujarat Giants leading 13-12.
Gujarat Giants coach Manpreet Singh substituted Rakesh Narwal for Rakesh S in the second half and the proved to be a crucial move. The youngster fetched a three-point Super Raid in the early minutes which gave the Gujarat Giants enough momentum to secure an All Out in the 27th minute. Gujarat Giants dictated play thereon and held on to clinch an all-important win.
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