Ahmedabad: Patna Pirates put on a stupendous showing in the final game of the opening leg of the 10th Season of the Pro Kabaddi League, ending the Gujarat Giants’ winning streak in an absolute nail-biter of a clash. The Patna Pirates played with panache and power and won by 33-30 against the Gujarat Giants.
Sachin and Rohit Gulia got the Patna Pirates and the Gujarat Giants off the blocks with their first raids of the game, after which the former champions raced into a 3-point lead within the first three minutes of the game.
The Patna Pirates continued to dominate the early exchanges, with each one of them pitching in against the home team. However, as the first half progressed, the Gujarat Giants started to fight back.
Compact and well-drilled, both sides continued to go at each other with all they had, and with less than 8 minutes to go in the half, the scores were level at 9-9. While Sourav Gulia and Rakesh were leading the charge for the Gujarat Giants, it was Sudhakar M who picked up the baton for the Patna Pirates in the first half, which ended with both sides tied on 12-12.
The Patna Pirates were off the blocks at good pace in the second half, with Sachin landing a crucial all-out on the Gujarat Giants, to give themselves a 7-point lead, and some much-needed breathing space in what was turning out to be an absolute thriller. The Gujarat Giants were finding it tough to get going on the night as Sachin, Neeraj and Ankit continued to dominate. At the halfway point in the second half, the Patna Pirates led by 11 points.
Another all-out went in favour of the Patna Pirates, who further stretched their lead to 14 points with just under 9 minutes to go. However, Rakesh and Sombir, encouraged by the talismanic Fazel Atrachali were looking to mount a comeback. With 5 minutes left on the clock, the Patna Pirates had a 9-point lead.
The home team then landed an all-out on the Patna Pirates, giving the supporters something to cheer about. With two minutes left, Rakesh notched up his Super 10, before he continued to power on, cutting down the lead to two points. However, the late charge was not enough, as the Patna Pirates walked off the mat with full points.
