Defender Jaideep grabbed the initiative for Patna Pirates with stunning tackles against Tamil Thalaivas’ match-winning raiders in the seventh Pro Kabaddi League on Monday.
Seven tackle points from him, including two Super Tackles, saw Pirates win the neck-and-neck thriller 24-23. Hadi Ostorak was the next best contributor with two tackle points in a match that showcased top-quality defending.
Thalaivas’ raid specialists, Rahul Chaudhari (five), Ajay Thakur (three) were overshadowed by Jaideep.
Manjeet Chillar (four points from six tackles) shone early on to put in-form Pardeep Narwal, one of PKL’s crowd-pullers, in the shade.
Jaideep’s timely charge forward and tackle on substitute Ajith Kumar, another of the many Super Tackles from Pirates, set the tone for the second half.
Thalaivas’ main attackers could not escape, Monu single-handedly bringing down Chaudhari with an ankle hold near the centre line and keeping him off balance even as two teammates pulled the raider back.
Manjeet’s double blow on Pirates raiders set the tone for a contest between sides brimming with experienced players. The Thalaivas tackler got a firm hold on Narwal early on, then shoved Jang Kun Lee off the court with a speedy burst and push.
The former’s form in the defence kept the heat on Pirates as the tie picked up pace.
Ostorak’s Super Tackle on Chaudhari inspired a fightback from Pirates, though reduced to three or two players at one stage. Monu came up with two raid points at a crucial stage, a back-kick to take Shabber Bapu by surprise deep in the rival half standing out.
In the second match, Bengal Warriors rode on Maninder Singh’s exploits to outplay Puneri Paltan 43-24. Tuesday is a rest day.
The results:
Patna Pirates 24 (Jaideep 7, Hadi Ostorak 2) beat Tamil Thalaivas 23 (Rahul Chaudhari 5, Manjeet Chillar 4).
Bengal Warriors 43 (Maninder Singh 14, Mohammed Nabibaksh 8, Rinku Jaiswal 5) beat Puneri Paltan 23 (Manjeet 3, Sushant Sail 3, Girish Ernak 3).
Wednesday’s matches:
Haryana Steelers v Jaipur Pink Panthers, U Mumba v UP Yoddhas.
