Patna (Bihar) [India], January 30 : In front of a raucous home crowd, the Patna Pirates put on a defensive masterclass to beat the Gujarat Giants 32-20 and climb to fourth on the table.
On an evening when the Patna Pirates defence logged an incredible 15 tackle points, their defensive duo of Ankit (6 points) and Krishan (5 points) were the star performers of the day.
A low-scoring game was defined by the staunch refusal of the Patna Pirates defence to go down by too many points despite being fewer in numbers for the majority of the game. The Gujarat Giants' raiders Parteek Dahiya and Nitin kept getting the touch points but crucially were not able to do so in the key moments of the game.
Krishan and Ankit's ability to conjure super tackles when their team needed them most astoundingly kept the Patna Pirates close on points, despite having fewer players on the mat. They went into the half-time breakdown by a mere two points.
The second half continued in a similar pattern, the Gujarat Giants constantly keeping the Patna Pirates' numbers low, but unable to get the all out when needed. On an off night for Fazel Atrachali, the Iranian did not log a single point all game, instead managing five unsuccessful tackles.
The Patna Pirates turned the tables around in the final three minutes of the game. Sandeep Kumar started the Gujarat Giants collapse, going in on a do-or-die raid and coming back with three touch points. They inflicted the first and only all-out of the game to take a 30-19 lead with a minute left in the game, and rode that defensive dominance to victory.
PKL Season 10 match
Game: Puneri Paltan vs Telugu Titans, 8 pm
Venue: Patna.
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