Patna Pirates returned to winning ways with an all-round performance as they secured an impressive 40-27 win over Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League in Noida on Monday.
Ayan Lohchab was Pirates' star player once again with 10 points, including three Tackle Points, while Devank Dalal and Sandeep finished with six and five points respectively.
After a slow start, the Pirates found their groove as Dalal and Ayan Lohchab made up for their initial mistakes with raids that got the likes of Balaji D and Sombir off the mat.
The two teams matched each other like-for-like in terms of both attack and defence at the start as Rakesh led the raiding department for the Gujarat side, scoring four quick points.
As the first half came to a close, the Pirates got themselves back into the game, equalising the score and then getting the Gujarat Giants ALL OUT with two minutes remaining until the end of the half.
This was enough to allow the Pirates to take a 21-16 lead at the end of the first 20 minutes.
Gujarat Giants mounted a comeback in the second half with the hopes of reducing the deficit, but the Pirates had an answer to most of their moves.
While Devank and Ayan led the charge for Gujarat Giants, they were well-supported by the likes of right raider Sandeep and right cover defender Deepak.
Having taken an eight-point lead, Patna Pirates got the Gujarat Giants ALL OUT for a second time in the game.
Ayan turned defender as he successfully tackled Parteek Dahiya to complete the ALL OUT.
This move effectively closed out the game for the Pirates, who used the momentum to their advantage.
As the match came to a close, Mohit for Gujarat Giants completed a Super Tackle but it proved insufficient.
