Telugu Titans’ Deepak Nivas rolled the dice on the final raid of the match, but it was Bengaluru Bulls which hit the jackpot.
With the score tied at 26, Nivas thought it prudent to attempt a touch.
However, the four Bulls anti-raiders — led by Manjit Chillar — had other ideas. A suplex takedown gave the host a last-gasp victory, and Nivas got an earful from his irate coach, Rajnarain Sharma.
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The win kept the Bulls in the hunt for a semifinal spot in the ProKabaddi League here on Tuesday.
If the Bulls lose their final league fixture — against table-topper Jaipur Pink Panthers on Wednesday — by eight points or less, they will progress to the last-four stage. Only a 10-point margin of defeat will bring the Titans into contention.
Cautious approachADVERTISEMENT
The start of this crucial contest was marked by a cautious approach from both ends.
A raid from the Bulls’ Dharmaraja Cheralathan, which resulted in a lona, swung the match the host’s way as it led 11-4.
A few minutes into the second-half, it was Titans which effected an all-out, bringing the scores level at 18.
A see-saw battle ensued, with both teams exchanging successful raids.
It all boiled down to the last raid to separate the two evenly-matched sides, and it was the Bulls which had the last laugh.
The results:
On Tuesday: Bengaluru Bulls 27 (Ajay Thakur 5, Manjit Chillar 3) bt Telugu Titans 26 (Sukesh Hegde 8, Rahul Chaudhari 4).
On Monday: Patna Pirates 33 (Ravi Dalal 8, Mandeep Kumar 4) bt Bengaluru Bulls 31 (Deepak Kumar 8, Ajay Thakur 6).