Stellar defence drives Patna Pirates to victory against Telugu Titans

A 16-point performance from Patna Pirates’ defence helped the visitors beat home side Telugu Titans by a scoreline of 34-22 in the final match at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday. Left Corner Jaideep scored six tackle points and substitute Monu managed four in what was a masterful display from the duo.  

Patna Pirates raced to a 4-0 lead courtesy of a two-point raid from Pardeep Narwal, another one from Jang Kun Lee and a tackle point from Hadi Oshtorak, but Telugu Titans responded with three straight points of their own, thanks to a Super Tackle from Vishal Bhardwaj and a bonus point from Siddharth Desai. The visitors managed to reduce Telugu Titans down to just two men on the mat, but a technical Super Tackle helped them avoid the All-Out and also cut the deficit down to just a solitary point. However, that proved to be a momentary respite, as Patna Pirates scored three straight points and inflicted the game’s first All-Out on the home side to take an 11-6 lead in the contest.

Desai scored his second bonus point of the night but was caught by Iranian Mohammad Esmaeil Maghsoudlou during retreat, giving each team a point. What followed was a nine-point run by Patna Pirates that inflicted the second All-Out of the night. Of those nine, Narwal scored four raid points, Jaideep added two tackle points, Oshtorak scored another and the visitors were awarded two for the All Out, giving them a 21-7 lead in the contest. Post the second All-Out, Desai responded with a two-point raid that sparked hopes of a comeback, but two unanswered points from Patna Pirates restored the visitors’ 14-point advantage, and the two teams headed into the half-time break with Telugu Titans trailing 23-9.

Telugu Titans started the second half on a bright note, outscoring the Patna Pirates 4-1, courtesy of three tackle points from the defence and a raid point from Desai. They added two more points to their score and reduced Patna Pirates down to three men, but a Super Tackle from Neeraj Kumar and a successful bonus attempt Jang Kun Lee put the Patna Pirates back up by 13. Substitute Monu made instant impact on proceedings by scoring three tackle points in two tackle attempts, putting the Patna Pirates up by 15 with just over five minutes left in the contest.

Monu added a fourth tackle point to his tally with a brilliant block on Suraj Desai, but Telugu Titans continued to push for a comeback, as substitute Ankit Beniwal and Siddharth Desai added two quick raid points to their team’s total. A successful Do-Or-Die raid attempt from Jang Kun Lee with just under two minutes left put the Patna Pirates back up by thirteen and ended the home team’s hopes of getting any points from the contest.

Top Performers:

Patna Pirates –

Best Raider – Pardeep Narwal (7 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Jaideep (6 Tackle Points)

Telugu Titans –

Best Raider – Siddharth Desai (5 Raid Points)

Best Defender – Vishal Bhardwaj (2 Tackle Points)