Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 24 : In a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire, UP Yoddhas edged past Patna Pirates 44-42, powered by the dynamic raiding duo of Bhavani Rajput and Gagan Gowda in the Pro Kabaddi League on Sunday.
Despite Devank Dalal's 18 points and a Super 10 from Ayan Lohchab, the UP Yoddhas staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, with Gowda's Super Raid, and Hitesh's Super Tackle proving to be a crucial turning point.
It was business as usual for Devank Dalal, who dominated the first 10 minutes of the game for the Patna Pirates. He got five straight raid points for his team in an impressive start, but on the other side of the mat, the UP Yoddhas kept up their pressure as well, courtesy of another impressive young raider in Bhavani Rajput.
The turning point came around the 14-minute mark when the Pirates inflicted an All Out on the Yoddhas, with Navdeep playing a crucial role in the defence. While Bhavani Rajput showed glimpses of brilliance for the UP Yoddhas with successful raids and Ashu Singh managed a super tackle, they couldn't prevent the Pirates from building a six-point lead. In the interim, Devank Dalal completed another Super 10, as the score read 25-21 at the end of the first half.
Both teams went toe-to-toe throughout the game, as Gagan Gowda joined Bhavani Rajput in leading the raiding points for the UP Yoddhas. For the Patna Pirates, Ayan Lohchab joined his raiding partner had an equally impressive counter-move. A Super Raid from Gagan got Deepak, Gurdeep and Ankit in a single move, and in the very next move, he brought up a well-earned Super 10 - his first of the season.
A Super Tackle by Hitesh got Ayan Lohchab and equalled the score at the same time, and the same defender, then successfully tackled Devank in a Do-Or-Die raid to give his team a close lead. In the end, Bhavani and Gagan's impressive combination took the home team over the line in an impressive win.