India cruised past Pakistan 36-20 in their opening match of the Kabaddi Masters Dubai on Friday.
Pakistan paid a heavy price for poor defending, which allowed India to march on unchecked. The Pakistan antis frequently broke the chain to attempt silly solo tackles.
For the Indian raiders, led by skipper Ajay Thakur, it was easy pickings.
Pakistan stayed competitive in the early minutes, holding India to a manageable 8-10 deficit. An all-out, however, saw India seize the initiative with a 14-8 lead. A second all-out gave India a huge 25-9 advantage.
Pakistan’s Ibrar Hussain attempted to infuse some life with a low reverse leg-sweep raid, and gained a touch on Surender. His Indian teammates, however, piled on Ibrar to snuff his challenge.
The energetic crowd, which included actor Abhishek Bachhan and Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, perhaps would have loved to see a closer encounter.
The result: India bt Pakistan 36-20.
(The writer is in Dubai at the invitation of Star Sports).
