Thakur, Chillar script Bulls' win

Pirates get the better of Delhi

Bengaluru Bulls put up an all-round performance to floor Telugu Titans 35-21 in their Pro Kabaddi League tie here on Friday.

At the Pataliputra Stadium here, Ajay Thakur displayed his class in raiding while skipper Manjeet Chillar led the defence with aplomb as the Bengaluru unit outplayed their opponents in convincing fashion.
 
With his consistent successful raids, Thakur ran away with the match as the Bulls lead 30-18 with three minutes for the buzzer. The win helped the Bulls to conclude the first half of the league with five wins. With 25 points to their credit, they stay in the third spot while the Titans are placed in the second position with 26 points.

Earlier, it was a close tussle for supremacy in the first half, where the winners ended with a 12-9 lead by escaping an all out. It was substitute Rakesh Narwal who brought about the turn around. The tall lad got a toe touch on an opponent to start the revival. This major lapse on the part of the Titans proved costly in hindsight.

The Bulls’ defence of veteran Dharmaraj Cheralathan and Gurpreet Singh, the latter replacing Joginder Narwal, manned the corners admirably. This pressurised the rival raiders and kept them at bay. That the Titans could get just five raid points, with Rahul getting three.

On the head-to-head front, the score now stands 3-0 in favour of the Bulls.

Patna thump Delhi

In the second match of the day, Patna Pirates hammered Dabang Delhi 39-22 to record their first victory on home turf and their second in the league.

Two all outs inflicted on the Delhi unit by the 17th minute literally broke their back and demoralised them.