Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 4 : The Bengal Warriorz had a night to remember in the Badminton Hall at the Balewadi Sports Complex, as they fought back to hand the in-form Haryana Steelers a 7-point defeat in the Pro Kabaddi League.
The Bengal Warriorz won the game with a scoreline of 39-32, with the Mighty Maninder scoring 11 points, Pranay Rane adding 6 of his own and Mayur Kadam registering a High-5. For the Haryana Steelers, Vinay registered a Super 10 which went in vain, as the Bengal Warriorz began their Pune leg with a morale-boosting win.
Both the Haryana Steelers and the Bengal Warriorz made a cautious start to the game, as they exchanged blows early on. However, the Steelers had Shivam Patare on the charge and they made it count and picked up a 4-point lead within the first six minutes of the game.
The Bengal Warriorz were looking to mount a comeback but Vinay's Super Raid around the 10th minute put the Haryana Steelers in a commanding position. While the Steelers continued to build on their lead, the Bengal Warriorz found a way back, and momentarily took the lead as well, with Pranay Rane leading the way.
While Vinay going out and attacking on all cylinders for the Haryana Steelers, it was Pranay Rane for the Bengal Warriorz, with a little help from Maninder Singh, who picked up the pace in the final minutes of the first half. And on the stroke of half time, the Bengal Warriorz landed an All Out on the Haryana Steelers, and the teams went into the break with the scores locked at 17-17.
Maninder picked up the first points of the second half and then Shivam Patare to Haryana Steelers' tally. The two teams continued to spar in the early exchanges of the second half, before a Super Raid by Shivam Patare gave the Steelers some breathing space. But Maninder Singh was going through the gears, and scoring important raid points, to keep the Bengal Warriorz within touching distance of their opponents.
With 13 minutes to go, Vinay completed his Super 10, but at the other end, the Bengal Warriorz were fighting hard. The duo of Manjeet and Mayur Kadam, along with Maninder were leading the charge for the Bengal Warriorz. At the half-hour mark, it was all square with teams locked at 25-25.
From then on in, the Bengal Warriorz got their noses out in front yet again. Mayur Kadam had got his High-5, whilst Mighty Maninder was causing all sorts of problems at the other end of the mat. In the 26th minute, Maninder completed his Super 10 and the Bengal Warriorz also inflicted an All Out on the Haryana Steelers. That gave the Warriorz an 8-point lead.
The final few minutes were as intense as ever. The Bengal Warriorz were looking to hammer their advantage while the Haryana Steelers were throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents. The powerful Mohammadreza Shadloui had been nullified by the Warriorz, who were marching on towards an emphatic win. Eventually, the Bengal Warriorz came away with a 7-point win against the table toppers.