Patna: Patna Pirates staged a dramatic comeback and nearly scripted a sensational triumph, but fell short on the last raid as they tied Puneri Paltan 32-32 in their Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 encounter on Saturday at Patliputra Indoor Stadium in Patna. Puneri Paltan captain Aslam Inamdar (13 points), Patna Pirates captain Sachin (8 raid points), and Mayur Kadam (5 tackle points) were the match’s standout players.
Patna Pirates entered the game off the back of a brilliant win over Bengal Warriors, but they were unable to capitalise on the momentum in the early stages of the game after being on the receiving end of the first all-out. Puneri Paltan’s three-man raiding unit of Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, and Pankaj Mohite chipped away at the home team’s defence, and a tackle by Gaurav Khatri on Manjeet in the tenth minute gave the men in orange an 11-6 lead.
After quickly recovering, Patna Pirates’ raiders, under the command of captain Sachin, attacked Puneri Paltan’s cover defenders in an effort to close the gap. At halftime, the visiting squad led 19-14.
The home team got off to a strong start in the second half, and Sachin’s multi-point raid reduced the opposition to three men, but Puneri Paltan fought tenaciously to keep the All-Out at bay. However, a mistake by Sanket Sawant reduced the Pune side to three men once more, giving Patna Pirates hope for a comeback. With 10 minutes remained in the game, they trailed Puneri Paltan by only three points, 23-20.
That’s when Sachin unleashed a stunning raid. The Pirates captain got by all three defenders in great fashion to inflict the All-Out and put his team ahead for the first time in the game. With 9 minutes remaining, Patna Pirates led 25-24.
The two sides were tied at 27 points until Patna Pirates upped the ante and led 30-27 with less than 4 minutes remaining. Mayur Kadam’s hot streak continued with a great tackle on Pankaj Mohite, giving him his second consecutive High 5. Puneri Paltan rallied in the last minutes of the game, and Patna Pirates lead 32-31 with only one raid remaining, however Manjeet missed the bonus line and was tackled, resulting in a tie.
