New Delhi: The Telugu Titans secured a hard-fought 37-32 win over their southern rivals, the Bengaluru Bulls, in the mini-qualifier at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday evening. Super 10 players of Bharat Hooda and Vijay Malik secured their team’s place in Eliminator 3.
Meanwhile, Alireza Mirzaian’s Super 10 wasn’t enough for the Bulls but they will get another chance to progress when they take on the in-form Patna Pirates in Eliminator 2 on Monday.
It was an action-packed start with Vijay Malik and Alireza setting the tone before Bharat Hooda’s two-point effort gave the Titans a slender lead. The defenders also made an impression as Shubham Shinde and Deepak Sankar exchanged tackles. With a tackle from Satyappa Matti and Akash Shinde getting on the board, the Bulls got back on level terms with the score at 6-6.
In a do-or-die raid, Chetan Sahu pulled off a two-point raid to regain his team’s lead and keep them ahead 10-8 after the first quarter. Bharat Hooda and Aman extended that lead to four points before Akash registered a couple of raids, including a do-or-die raid, to bring the game to one point.
The Titans ensured they maintained their slim four-point lead with Chetan Sahu and Bharat Hooda contributing while Aman also secured a couple of tackles. However, Akash Shinde and Satyappa Matti finished the half strongly for the Bulls, ending a thrilling first half with the score at 16-14.
The second half started quietly and the defenders made the first move. Ajit Pawar grabbed a tackle for his team while Sanjay did the same. The Bengaluru Bulls upped their ante slightly with Aashish Malik’s two-point push and finally had the edge when Satyappa Matti’s tackling helped them execute their first ALL OUT.
With a two-point lead, Alireza ensured his team retained the lead with a score of 24-21. Bharat responded for the Titans by scoring a two-pointer himself before a tackle from Ajit Pawar brought them back to level at 24-24 with ten minutes to play.
As the game came to a close, the Titans took the lead again. Bharat Hooda completed his Super 10 while Shankar Gadai’s tackle gave the Bulls an ALL OUT, giving them a 31-28 lead with less than six minutes to go. Vijay Malik came on at a crucial moment for the Titans and ensured his team defended their four-point lead with two minutes left.
Alireza completed his Super 10 that night and kept his team alive in the dying embers of the game. However, Vijay Malik sealed the deal for his team by completing a Super 10 himself, giving his team honors in the Southern Derby, winning with a 37-32 win and also securing their place in Eliminator 3.
