U.P. Yoddhas register convincing win against Telugu Titans

Surender Gill's inspired raiding helped U.P. Yoddhas claim a 41-30 victory over Telugu Titans in the second game of the night at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune on Saturday. Gill (13 points) was the undoubted star of the match, while Siddharth Desai's (11 points) effort came in a losing cause. 

Despite the fact that the Titans, under pressure and lacking confidence, are stuck at the bottom of the table, the early stages of this match defied the predictions. The Titans matched the Yoddhas raid for raid, and with neither defence firing — it took almost 10 minutes for the first tackle point — the game looked set to be a high scoring encounter.

The gridlock was broken by Surender Gill, whose Super Raid caught out Vishal Bhardwaj, Parvesh Bhainswal, Mohsen Maghsoudlou and Ankit, leaving only two Titans on the mat. The first All-Out of the game duly followed as the Yoddhas took an 18-11 lead.

With the bit firmly between their teeth, they never let up and Gill in particular was superb, notching 9 points in the first half itself. The Yoddhas went into the break leading 21-15. 

Early in the second half, the Titans mounted a comeback in a consolidated fashion in a way they hadn't done before this season. Slowly they cut the lead down to one, and with just one U.P. Yoddhas player on the mat, an All-Out loomed. However, the Yoddhas' young raider Mahipal had other ideas as his Super Raid didn’t just get the lead back for them but also helped his team recover and deny the Titans the lead.

From there on, the Yoddhas took control and slowly drained the Titans' new found confidence again. They inflicted a second All-Out with seven minutes left to inch into a 12-point lead at 36-24. They also extended their lead in the last moments, condemning the Titans to another defeat. 

Top Performers

Telugu Titans

Best Raider - Siddharth Desai (11 Raid Points)

Best Defender - Parvesh Bhainswal (5 Tackle Points)

U.P. Yoddhas

Best Raider - Surender Gill (11 Raid Points)

Best Defender - Sumit (7 Tackle Points)

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