Haryana Steelers Obliterate Bengal Warriors by a massive 46-29 margin to rise in standings
The Bengal Warriors and the Haryana Steelers went into Match 92 of the Pro Kabaddi League match on Friday with plenty at stake. Before the game, Haryana was placed seventh in the points table while Bengal was reeling at the tenth spot.
The victorious team was destined to move into the top-six and it was the Steelers who accomplished this task with great efficacy registering an emphatic victory. The 46-29 win has not only ensured that the Steelers take the full five points on offer for this match but also has vastly improved their overall Score Difference in the points table.
Maninder Singh notched another ‘Super 10’ garnering 13 points, an effort which went in vain in the end. Ran Singh was the top contributor in the defense for the Warriors and scored three out of the four tackle points that the Warriors scored in this match.
For the Steelers, it was Vikash Kandola who starred with 10 touchpoints and the collective defense that changed the course of the match. The Haryana defenders kept Maninder Singh at bay as they sent him to the bench time and again preventing the Warriors from staging a comeback.
The match started on a cautious note as both sides lost their lead raiders Maninder Singh and Vikash Kandola in their very first raids as the defenses made merry. The fact that the raiders scored the first touchpoint in the eighth minute from Vinay just goes on to show the prowess of the defense of both sides.
The Steelers’ defense was in form in the first ten minutes putting in some impressive tackles. Akshay Kumar, a new member of the Starting 7, grabbed eyeballs with two successful tackles in this period.
Ran Singh of Bengal Warriors tackles a Haryana Steelers raider in the match on Friday
Maninder got his first touch point in the tenth minute of the contest. However, before Bengal’s superstar could make a big impact on the outcome of the contest, Vikash Kandola put in a 4-point super-raid to give his side a big advantage.
The four-pointer not only gave the Steelers a sizable lead but also allowed them to inflict an all-out on their opponents. However, the Warriors kept taking points and ended the first half with the scoreboard reading 19 points apiece.
Maninder again got eliminated by Bengal’s defense soon after the start of the second half. The game was progressing without either side building a big lead as the Warriors were also keeping Kandola quiet.
Mohammad Nabibaksh struck in a do-or-die raid which revived Maninder Singh and granted his side an opportunity of asserting themselves in the game. Maninder completed his Super 10 in the eighth minute of the second half, which included plenty of bonus rather than touchpoints.
Soon, Vinay returned the favor as he revived his team’s lead raider, Vikash, by scoring in a do-or-die raid. It was at this moment that the game took a decisive turn.
A combination of errors, failed tackles, and unsuccessful raids for the Warriors allowed Haryana to build a four-point lead with around nine minutes remaining.
Four points was not a gap that could not be bridged easily. However, matters got worse for the Warriors when two more points to the Steelers reduced Bengal to just two men on the mat once again. Kandola expertly eliminated them in a brilliant raid to inflict another all-out on the Warriors.
With just over seven minutes remaining in the match, Haryana led 33-23. The Warriors did not give up and kept trying to claw back into the match with Maninder getting a three-point super raid to keep the Bengal outfit afloat. However, their hopes were soon snuffed out.
Maninder was tackled soon after and the Steelers revived the 10-point lead in the 37th minute. From thereon, it was a free fall for Bengal as they kept losing men and eventually were staring at another all-out. It came in the penultimate minute and ensured that the margin of the win for Haryana would be a massive one.