New Delhi: The Bengal Warriorz kept their playoff hopes alive after they staged a superb eight-point comeback against Tamil Thalaivas to prevail 44-43 at the Thyagaraj Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday. Vishwas S led from the front with 19 points while Himanshu Narwal also contributed with 9 points to keep his side in contention for a place in the top eight.
Meanwhile, Arjun Deshwal scored 20 points for Tamil Thalaivas and also collected 200 raid points this season. Moein Shafaghi contributed eight points but that wasn’t enough for the Thalaivas as they squandered a significant lead.
Arjun Deshwal and Vishwas S exchanged blows to score first in the game with the Warriorz having a three-point lead at the start. A tackle from Ankit and Himanshu Narwal’s two-point advance gave them the advantage, but it didn’t last long. A super tackle from Ronak and a four-point super raid from Arjun Deshwal turned the tables and gave Tamil Thalaivas a three-point lead.
Warriorz captain Vishwas S had an encouraging start to the game and kept them in the competition. However, the Thalaivas secured the first ALL OUT of the game thanks to Nitesh Kumar’s tackle and Arjun Deshwal’s two-point raid, which also helped him complete his Super 10 and give his team a 16-8 lead after the first quarter.
After scoring a goal in the first ten minutes, the Warriorz managed to get back into the game in a quiet second period. Their defense helped them reduce the deficit with tackles from Ankit, Sandeep Saini and Phool Chandra, while Vishwas and Himanshu Narwal kept things going at the end of the attack. With some determination they reduced the deficit to six points and trailed 22-16 at the end of the first half.
Vishwas S continued to lead the way at the start of the second half and completed his Super 10 to maintain the momentum for his team. His two-point push helped the Warriorz get an ALL OUT, making it a three-point game 25-22. Thanks to contributions from Arjun Deshwal and Moein Shafaghi, the Thalaivas ensured they were ahead with a two-point lead going into the final ten minutes.
The two teams refused to give an inch in this enthralling encounter and the persistence finally paid off for Bengal Warriorz as they leveled the score at 36-36 thanks to multi-point attacks from Vishwas S and Himanshu Narwal. Arjun Deshwal responded with a super raid and helped his team take a three-point lead with less than three minutes left.
The turning point came when Himanshu Narwal scored another ALL OUT against the Thalaivas, giving the Warriorz a two-point lead. Arjun Deshwal did his best to keep his side in the competition, but a third tackle of the night from Phool Chandra turned the game around for Bengal. They staged an eight-point comeback to secure a 44-43 win, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
