Courtesy of three points from Vikas Jaglan in the final minute of the contest, Patna Pirates managed to salvage a 40-40 draw against Bengaluru Bulls at the Tau Devilal Sports on Wednesday. In the post-match press conference, coach Ram Mehar Singh and captain Pardeep Narwal took questions for Patna Pirates whereas Bengaluru Bulls were represented by coach Randhir Singh and captain Rohit Kumar.

Patna Pirates

Q. Good turnaround in the second half. What was said at the break?

Ram Mehar Singh: We should have played better in the first half. But we planned to attack in the second half and it paid off. I told my raiders not to come back empty-handed and they did not disappoint.

Q. How much pressure was on you to overturn the deficit?

Ram Mehar Singh: There was pressure on the entire team. We had to get points out of this contest to boost our Playoffs hopes.

Q. How much pressure is on you to reach the Playoffs?

Ram Mehar Singh: There is pressure on us for sure considering we are the three-time defending champions. When you reach that high, you are expected to be there continuously. So, we are definitely up against it.

Q. How important is the next game?

Ram Mehar Singh: Our next match is extremely important and, if we win, we’ll be at a safe score in the standings.

Bengaluru Bulls

Q. What happened in the second half?

Randhir Singh: They played very well in the second half. Towards the end, we had a three-point lead and we allowed a two-point raid right before our Do-Or-Die raid. So that’s where we lost the game.

Q. What were you thinking during that spell where you scored nine points in five raid attempts?

Rohit Kumar: We needed to win to ensure we stay at the summit in Zone B which will be crucial come Playoffs time. So, it was important to not let them have the All-Out.

What will your strategy be in the next leg?

Randhir Singh: We have two games left and have 72 points and we know that if Bengal Warriors win all their home games, they can overtake us. So, we will try and win both our matches to avoid that.