The Haryana Steelers locked horns with the U.P. Yoddha in the 73rd fixture of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8, as the Steelers courtesy of Vinay’s bonus point extended their winning streak to three games, after a last-minute 35-36 win over their opponents.
The Steelers will be ecstatic with their win over the UP Yoddha side, as they secured five points on the points table, and move up to the fifth spot in the league table. The Yoddhas on the other hand will be bummed out after their loss in the final second of the game and will look to get back to winning ways in their upcoming games.
Pardeep Narwal started off the high profile with a point for his side, as the raider started off the game with a touchpoint on the left corner Surinder Nada. The Steelers did not shy away from the challenge as Vinay fired back with a brilliant escape, avoiding UP’s skipper Nitesh Kumar to even the odds.
Both the sides took a slow approach to the game in the initial part of the first half, settling to score during their do-or-die raids. At the end of the first ten minutes, both sides were equally matched at nine points each. The UP-based side had the chance to inflict the first all out of the game upon their opponents in the first seven minutes of the game, but two back-to-back super tackles from the Steelers ensured that their opponents did not pull the game in their grasp.
Vinay continuously targeted UP’s Nitesh throughout the first half, the defender has been a shadow of his former self so far in the tournament, and the raiders took advantage of the vulnerable defender in the early part of the game. At the end of the first half, the Steelers had a mediocre one-point lead over their opponents, with a chance to inflict the first all-out of the game heading into the second half.
Mohit was outstanding for the Steelers as he picked up his High 5 with a tackle on Sahil
Haryana capitalized on their momentum from the first half, as they dealt the first all out of the game within the first two minutes of the second half, increasing their lead to four points. The Steelers looked like strong favorites to win the game, as the team piled up the damage on their opponents, maintaining an eight-point margin over their opponents with just twelve minutes remaining in the game.
The Uttar Pradesh-based franchise however fired back with an amazing super raid from the substitute, Mohammad Taghi who picked up a bonus plus three touchpoints in a single raid in the 40th minute fostering a UP Yoddha comeback in the game. Riding on the momentum, UP returned the favor in the final five minutes of the game as they equalized the scores with an all-out over their opponents.
Both sides tried to keep it safe in the last five minutes, as none of the players dared to risk the security of the draw as the final whistle drew closer. However, Vinay wrote the final twist in the tale, as the raider stole as a last-minute bonus with just two seconds on the buzzer, and made sure to run the clock out to give his side their third win in a row.
The Steelers will now look to build on the momentum with the consecutive victories as they face the Gujarat Giants on Tuesday in their 14th fixture of the ongoing league season.
On the other hand, The UP Yoddha will look to shake off the loss and concentrate on their upcoming opponents, as the side is set to face the inaugural champions Jaipur Pink Panthers on Thursday in their 14th appearance of the season.