Pune, Dec 15 Jaipur Pink Panther put on an effective all-round display as they eliminated Tamil Thalaivas from the playoffs race after the match ended with a 34-27 score at the Badminton Hall in the Balewadi Sports Complex on Sunday.
In what was match 113 of PKL 11, Arjun Deshwal found ample support from the likes of Neeraj Narwal and Abhijeet Malik while Ankush Rathee led the defensive charge. For the Tamil Thalaivas, Nitesh Kumar’s High 5 went in vain.
Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper and star raider Arjun Deshwal had good support from his supporting raiders Abhijeet Malik and Neeraj Narwal as the two-time PKL champions began to take an early lead. Arjun started the point-scoring with a running hand touch on Amir Hossein Bastami while Abhijeet Malik secured a Do-Or-Die raid against Aashish.
For the Tamil Thalaivas, a Super Tackle sent Arjun Deshwal to the bench but the impressive start by their defenders did not last for too long. Six consecutive points for the Jaipur Pink Panthers saw Sai Prasad caught by Surjeet Singh just after Abhishek Manokaran surrendered to Neeraj Narwal for an ALL OUT. This gave the team a good platform as the score read 20-13 at the end of the first half.
The script of the game was the same as the Jaipur Pink Panthers piled the pressure on the Tamil Thalaivas. For every point won by the Thalaivas, Arjun Deshwal’s side had a very strong response. Using their defensive prowess, the Jaipur Pink Panthers continued to dominate the second half of the match, consistently neutralising the Tamil Thalaivas' offensive attempts.
In a commanding display of Jaipur Pink Panthers' defensive lineup, led by stellar performances from Ankush Rathee – who scored a High 5 – systematically dismantled the Thalaivas' raiders. He stepped up as Arjun Deshwal struggled to find his rhythm, repeatedly getting tackled by the Thalaivas' defenders.
Tamil Thalaivas rode on the raids of Abhishek and Chandran Ranjith, who stepped up to maintain the team's momentum. The Jaipur Pink Panthers effectively controlled the Do-Or-Die raids that helped expand their lead. As the match came to a close, the Jaipur Pink Panthers decisively outperformed the Tamil Thalaivas, ultimately securing a comprehensive seven-point victory.
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