Pro Kabaddi: Bulls prove too good for clueless Thalaivas

CHENNAI: Tamil Thalaivas skipper Ajay Thakur won the prestigious Arjuna Award on Saturday but his happiness was short-lived as Bengaluru Bulls thumped the local favourites 32-21 in the opening match of the Chennai leg of the Pro Kabaddi League here at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Saturday evening.
It was a packed house but Thalaivas couldn't get off to the start they were looking for as the Bulls raider Pawan Sherawat, who top scored with 11, never allowed rivals' defence to settle down.He helped his team snatch a 5-0 lead in the first four minutes of the match.
"It feels great to score points and help the team win such a high-pressure match. Thalaivas are a good team and have solid defence but we had the strategy to deal with it," a delighted Pawan told reporters after the match. With Saturday's win Bulls have moved up to fourth spot with 27 points from eight matches while Thalaivas slipped to seventh spot with 20 points from seven games. Jaipur Pink Panther are leading the chart with 30 points from seven matches.
Thalaivas were desperate for a win to start their home leg campaign on a high but the risks they took didn't pay off. After trailing 0-5 in the initial stages, raiders Ajay and Shabee Bappu made desperate attempts to score some quick points but couldn't break the Bulls' defence. Bulls tackled the Thalaivas' last man Manjeet to inflict the first All-Out of the game taking a massive 10-0 lead.
"It was a tough match as Bulls were very competitive from the beginning and we made some silly mistakes. Tonight they were more accurate when it came to snatching points," Ajay said.
Warriors hold Dabang Delhi
Later in the evening, Dabang Delhi were held by Bengal Warriors 30-30. After Saturday's match, Dabang moved to the second spot with 29 points from seven matches while Bengal Warriors climbed to third place with 28 points from 8 games.