Patna Pirates overcame Puneri Paltan 38–27 in an exciting comeback after falling behind at halftime at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Sunday. With 17 points to lead the way and the defensive unit that helped them defeat the table-toppers, Ayan Lohchab was the standout once again.
Both teams engaged in a fiercely contested tactical struggle in the first ten minutes of the match, with neither team ready to give up an inch. The Pirates started off by strategically switching up their raiders between Ankit Kumar and Ayan, but the defense, under the leadership of Deepak and Navdeep, repelled Puneri’s initial attacks.
Paltan’s defensive resistance was overcome by the Pirates’ quick tackles, and the tension on the mat reflected the high stakes of this early-season match. The momentum changed multiple times throughout the early exchanges. Despite Puneri’s tenacity in defense, Patna was able to maintain a slim advantage because to Ayan’s quick raids and Ankit Kumar’s steady assistance. After ten minutes, the Pirates had a slight advantage, 8–5.
While Navdeep rallied the defense with timely tackles, Ayan continued to be the Pirates’ star player, conducting swift and assured raids to keep his team in contact. However, Abinesh Nadarajan, Rakesh, and Sanjay Enania, Puneri’s defense trio, showed equal resolve and executed a few Super Tackles that helped them gain the upper hand. For a large portion of the half, neither team was able to break away decisively due to the intense exchanges.
Abhishek Gunge and Mohammad Nabibakhsh’s steady contributions helped the Paltan find rhythm in the latter half of the first half. They overcame Patna’s early lead because to their well-planned raids and methodical defense, which caused a few mistakes from the Pirates. Due to a tactical struggle between the two teams, Puneri Paltan prevailed at halftime, leading 15–13.
Ayan maintained his excellent play, scoring important points and leading several successful raids that put pressure on Puneri Paltan. With important raids, such as an ALL OUT, Milan Dahiya also made an impression and gave the Pirates a much-needed boost. The Pirates’ unity on both ends of the mat allowed them to gradually reduce the gap in spite of Puneri’s attempts to rally, which were spearheaded by Abhishek Gunge and Mohammad Nabibakhsh.
Paltan refused to let the Pirates completely take the lead, keeping the game competitive. Nabibakhsh conducted crucial raids and Abhishek Gunge launched counterattacks, which kept the score close with the momentum swinging. However, the Pirates were able to eventually gain a slight advantage due to their balanced performance in both raiding and defense.
The Pirates’ raiders, led by Ayan and Stuwart Singh, carried out incisive, high-pressure raids that regularly found their target, building on the momentum from the first half into the second half. In order to prevent Puneri’s attempts at a comeback, Ankit and Navdeep made vital stops as the Pirates’ defense grew tighter. The Pirates were able to increase their lead while preventing the Paltans from putting up a persistent fight because to their combination of methodical raiding and meticulous defense.
Abhishek Gunge and Nabibakhsh scored sporadically as Puneri Paltan shown moments of resistance. Puneri found it more and more difficult to bridge the distance as the Pirates’ victories increased the gap. Ultimately, the Patna Pirates won easily thanks to their well-balanced performance in both raiding and defense.
