Desai’s second-half run inspires a come-from-behind win for U Mumba

Siddharth Desai’s brilliant raiding inspired U Mumba to come back from a nine-point first-half deficit and beat Dabang Delhi K.C. 41-34 on the way to regaining the top spot in Zone A at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex in Delhi on Saturday. Naveen Kumar managed a Super 10 for Dabang Delhi K.C. on a night where they had the lead for the first three-quarters of the game.

Dabang Delhi K.C. made an electric start to the contest, returning with the first three points of the game before U Mumba got on the board courtesy of a bonus point by Desai. Naveen Kumar and Chandran Ranjit had an excellent run from there which saw Dabang Delhi K.C. inflict the first All-Out of the match in the 8^th minute.

Check out the photos from the match here.

U Mumba got their first tackle point of the game in the 11^th minute after a Rohit Rana Block on Chandran Ranjit to bring the deficit down to just two points.  They then levelled the scores in the 13^th minute at 11-11. But Dabang Delhi K.C., spurred on by their home crowd, took control of the game again. The home team inflicted their second All-Out of the game in the final minute of the half as Naveen Kumar got a touch on Dharmaraj Cheralathan to increase their lead to eight points as the scores read 21-13.

The half ended on a strong note for Dabang Delhi K.C. as Vishal Mane managed a Block on Rohit Baliyan off the final raid to ensure that Dabang Delhi K.C. went into the break with a nine-point advantage.

U Mumba started the second half the brighter of the two sides as they managed to score four of the first five points of the half. This included a Super Raid by Desai in the 2^nd minute as the visitors brought the deficit down to six points. They managed to reduce the deficit even further before Joginder Narwal inflicted the first Super Tackle of the game on Desai in the 7^th minute to take the lead back up to seven points.

Desai then got his second Super Raid of the game in the 9^th minute as he got touches on Joginder Narwal, Vishal Mane and Rajesh Narwal to help U Mumba inflict their first All-Out of the game and bring the deficit down to one point with the scores reading 26-25. Desai also reached his Super 10 by way of this Super Raid. Naveen Kumar completed his Super 10 as well in the 13^th minute as he got a touch on Surender Singh. At this point, Dabang Delhi K.C. still led 29-28.

Abolfazl Maghsoudlou handed U Mumba their first lead of the game in the 14^th minute as he managed to get an Ankle Hold on Ranjit. Desai then got a touch on Pahal to reduce Dabang Delhi K.C. to a solitary player on the mat before Surender Singh helped U Mumba complete their second All-Out of the game in the 18^th minute and increase their lead to five points.

Visit the matchcentre to relive the contest here.

Desai sealed the game for U Mumba in the 19^th minute with his third Super Raid of the game as he got touches on Yogesh Hooda, Mane, Rajesh Narwal and Joginder Narwal to take the scores to 40-33. A tackle by Fazel Atrachali on Ranjit brought about the end of the scoring with U Mumba taking the victory by seven points.

Top Performers

Dabang Delhi K.C.

Best Raider- Naveen Kumar (12 raid points)

Best Defender- Joginder Narwal (3 tackle points)

U Mumba

Best Raider- Siddharth Desai (19 raid points)

Best Defender- Surender Singh (3 tackle points)