Haryana display nerves of steel to conquer Gujarat Fortunegiants

The last time Haryana Steelers met Gujarat Fortunegiants in VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5, they had to be content with a 27-27 tie in spite of a good performance. On Tuesday, though, they made sure they never took their foot off the pedal throughout the game and returned with a 32-20 win at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium in Nagpur.

Haryana Steelers raced off to a good start thanks to raiders Surjeet Singh and Vikas Kandola, gaining a 6-1 lead. But at the other end, Gujarat’s Sachin was equally lethal and pulled off a strong super tackle along with some good raids to help his team equalise in the 14^th minute at 7-7.

The Mohit Chhillar-Surender Nada combination, though, continued to be a pillar of the Haryana defence and the Steelers went into half time with a 13-9 lead. Captain Nada, predominantly a defender, even managed to take advantage of a lapse in concentration by the Gujarat defence and score while raiding.

Wazir Singh, meanwhile, failed to make an impression for the Steelers and gave the Fortunegiants a whiff of hope in the second half. However, young Kandola continued to shine and took up the challenge of leading the attack. He returned with 6 points in the match, and in the process effected a Gujarat Fortunegiants All-Out in the 8^th minute as Haryana Steelers gained a sizeable 22-12 lead.

A Mahendra Rajput super raid provided a twist to the tale but the steadfast Haryana corners made sure they maintained the lead. Chhillar finally showcased his brilliance and scored his first High 5 of the season as Haryana Steelers cruised to their first win of the season. The 32-20 score line meant that Gujarat Fortunegiants even missed out on scoring a bonus point from the game.

Check out our snapshots from this match here.