"It did not matter if we gave Manjeet 3 or 2 touch points"- Jaipur Pink Panthers coach Sanjeev Baliyan discloses strategy for buzzer raid
Jaipur Pink Panthers coach Sanjeev Baliyan revealed that his team planned to attack Manjeet as a unit in the final raid of the match against Tamil Thalaivas no matter what would have happened.
Jaipur trailed Thalaivas by 29-31 when Manjeet came in for the buzzer raid. It was a do-or-die raid, with the Pink Panthers having three defenders on the mat. Manjeet stepped out of bounds without a touch and Jaipur pulled off a tie, thanks to the two points for the super tackle.
When asked about the strategy he planned for Manjeet in the final raid of the match, Jaipur Pink Panthers coach Sanjeev Baliyan stated at the press conference:
"Manjeet is a very good raider. He is performing really well in this league. We planned to attack on him like a unit. It did not matter if we gave him 3 or 2 touch points because if we did not pull off the super tackle, we were going to lose. Had he entered deep in our half, all three would have pounced on him."
The coach also revealed why his Pro Kabaddi team played for a draw and did not try for a point in their final raid of the match, which was before Manjeet's do-or-die raid.
"No, we did not go to play for a draw. But the situation was not in our favor. We had three players left. So if we tried for a point in our raid, we could have been reduced to two men only. A 1 vs. 2 situation favors the raider. The defenders would have been under pressure, and it is risky as well," Baliyan added.
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Our main aim was to execute a super tackle: Jaipur Pink Panthers head coach Sanjeev Baliyan
Baliyan concluded by saying that the Jaipur-based franchise could have tried for a victory had they got more time left in the match. However, they reacted as per the situation and played for the best result possible for them.
"See if we got one more raid, we could have tried for a point. But our main aim was to execute a super tackle. Credit to the boys for executing two super tackles in the last moments," Baliyan concluded.
With the draw against Tamil Thalaivas, Jaipur Pink Panthers climbed to fourth position on the PKL points table. They will play their next match against the Telugu Titans on Wednesday.