Delhi: Gujarat Giants stayed alive in the hunt for a place in the top eight with a hard-fought 40-32 win over Patna Pirates at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Tuesday night. Mohammadreza Shadloui’s all-round performance and Himanshu Singh’s Super 10 helped her side to their third win in four games as they seemed to gain momentum at the right time. Mandeep Kumar’s Super 10 went in vain for Pirates.
In a surprise move by the Giants, Shadloui scored the first point of the night with his first attempt at attack. Ayan did the same for Patna Pirates before Rakesh Sungroya’s two-point effort gave his side an early lead. Ankit Jaglan got his team back on level terms and Patna Pirates eventually took a two-point lead thanks to contributions from Mandeep Kumar and Navdeep.
However, the Giants responded strongly as Lucky Sharma registered the first super tackle of the game. Shadloui’s tackle and Rakesh’s two-point drive gave her team a 10-5 lead. Mandeep Kumar hit the Pirates right-back with a super raid, but Lucky Sharma and Himanshu Singh ensured their side had a 12-8 lead after the first ten minutes.
Himanshu Singh and Mandeep Kumar traded attacks in the second quarter before a tackle from Nitin Panwar eventually helped the Gujarat Giants to their first ALL OUT of the game, giving them a five-point lead (18-13). For Patna Pirates, Mandeep Kumar kept them in the game as he completed his Super 10 but his team still trailed 23-17 at the end of the first half.
Ayan started the second half by giving his side some momentum, with Ankit Jaglan also helping Pirates reduce the deficit to three points. Himanshu Singh continued his good run and helped the Giants regain their six-point lead as the two teams went neck-and-neck. With less than ten minutes to go, Patna Pirates stayed within striking distance and reduced the deficit to two points with the score at 27-25.
Gujarat Giants opened a six-point game thanks to a super tackle from Nitin Panwar and Mohammadreza Shadloui, who also recorded a few tackles. Himanshu Singh also completed his Super 10, keeping his team in the driver’s seat. However, Patna Pirates were not ready to throw in the towel yet as Ankit Jaglan’s super tackle reduced the score to 33-30 with less than three minutes to go.
With less than a minute to play, Ankit Rana ensured a two-point game for Patna Pirates. As the game came to a close, Mohammadreza Shadloui followed up with a crucial two-point push. After their all-rounder got the upper hand, they completed another ALL OUT and put the outcome of the game beyond doubt by prevailing 40-32 in a thrilling encounter.
