Pro Kabaddi 2019, Haryana Steelers vs Puneri Paltan: Haryana dominate Pune to move up to second position
Haryana Steelers moved up to the second position on the points' table after beating Puneri Paltan in stellar fashion in the 71st battle of Pro Kabaddi League 2019.
Vikash Kandola and skipper Cheralathan were the praiseworthy heroes of the night, who contributed massively to the team's victory. Even Vinay, the young gun, played an impressive game for the Steelers.
Read to find out how the fifth encounter of the #RivalryWeek between Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers unfolded itself at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore:
Nitin Tomar started for the Paltan and was agile enough to throw Sunil off the mat. Opening the account for the Steelers, young prodigy Vikash picked up a point. An impeccable dubki by Nitin in his second raid secured two points for the orange-white clad unit, hence putting them in a two-point lead.
Sunil, from the Haryana-based franchise, dived on Nitin's ankles and scored the first tackle point of the night. A mind-blowing super-tackle by skipper Surjeet put Kandola's flight to rest, also bringing the score on a tie at six each.
A super tackle by Ravi Kumar from the Steelers army reduced the two-point score difference to just one. Vikash was impressive throughout the first twenty minutes, pitching in crucial points for his squad.
Inflicting a superb all-out on the Paltan, Vikash ended the first half on a good note for Haryana. Pune, who initially had a grasp on the lead, were now lagging behind at 11-18.
Vinay's two-pointer kicked off the second half of the battle. Cheralathan's flawless ankle-hold sent Manjeet off the mat. Pankaj Mohite, the newcomer, picked up two points for the Paltan, hence reducing the massive score difference to eight.
Lanky Prashanth stepped on the opponent's court to deliver yet another beautiful two-pointer for the Steelers. Pune clearly struggled in the other half. Both the offense and defense of the Pune-based franchise were kept mum by the Steelers.
Kandola, with a resplendent game, completed his fifth Super 10 of the season. Pune conceded yet another all-out in the 32nd minute, which pushed them into deeper crisis.
In an attempt to make a comeback, Pankaj gathered a two-pointer for Pune. Discontented with those two points, he took a review in the hope for a super raid, which unluckily turned out to be unsuccessful.
Cheralathan achieved his first High 5 of the season in brilliant fashion. Haryana demanded a review with just forty seconds left on the clock, which was deemed successful. Eventually, with a perfect raiding and defense unit, the Steelers emerged triumphant with the score 41-27.
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