Neeraj Narwal and Saurabh Nandal came up with some superb defense as Bengaluru Bulls survived two late surges by the Tamil Thalaivas to register a 40-34 victory in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 at the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi here on Sunday.
Raider Bharat (14 points) was exceptional for the Bulls, but it was the defending by Neeraj Narwal and Saurabh Nandal in the final minutes of the game that made the real difference.
The Bulls, riding on consecutive Super Raids by Bharat inflicted the first All-Out on the Thalaivas within the first five minutes of the game. At that time, it seemed like the Bulls would dominate the entire game.
However, the Thalaivas rallied together, their constant pressure and Narender's constant raiding success kept them in the game. In the final five minutes of the half though, not just wiped out the Bulls' lead but also surged into one of their own. They went into halftime leading 19-18.
The capitulation stung the Bulls hard, and their second-half performance was a reaction to that more than anything else. In a repeat of the first half, they inflicted a second All-Out on the Thalaivas early on, retaking a 28-25 lead. And yet again, the Thalaivas rallied.
The last five minutes were a blur of action. Much like the first half, Thalaivas again applied all the pressure, as the Bulls fell apart.
With another All-Out looming over them, Neeraj Narwal pulled off a Super Tackle on Ajinkya Pawar to stem the bleeding. It was a tackle that not just ensured they stayed ahead on the board but also reignited them. Soon enough, they had achieved a great lead, winning in the end by a comfortable six-point margin.
