Shrikant Jadhav turned the tables for U Mumba with a two-pointer in the final minutes to help former champions snatch a thrilling 30-28 win over host Dabang Delhi at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex on Friday.
Delhi, who was hoping for change of fortunes on the home stretch have now mustered mere four wins in its 13 games. Mumba, however, remains on fourth place in the Zone A. Delhi continue to hug the bottom of the table.
The hosts are banking on the home leg to plump their sinking campaign in this edition. They started on a positive note and kept up the aggression in the first half. Iranian Abolfazl Maghsodlou played a crucial role in helping Delhi race to 12-3 lead, as Mumba struggled to find their rhythm.
Despite trailing in the large part of the contest, Mumba rode on the quality of their raiders. Jadhav and Kashiling Adake, who was the second highest scorer with seven points, ensured the Mumbai fight back to even at 16-16 at half time.
Delhi captain Meraj Sheykh, returning from an injury, couldn’t create the same impact and Delhi paid the price. The two teams were engaged in a keen fight post break but Mumbai nosed ahead in the 23rd minute. Delhi managed to bridge the gap to 28-27 but then Jadhav grabbed his chances in the dying minutes to clinch victory for Mumba.
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