Tamil Thalaivas Vs Patna Pirates match review

The Thalaivas bring down the curtain on their debut season in the Pro Kabaddi League 2017, and there could not have been a better way to do it. The Thalaivas team of young players may have lacked the requisite experience to make a serious dent in the competition, but their energy has allowed the Thalaivas to claim some big scalps this season and the Patna Pirates is a fine addition to that collection. This was a match that exhibited what the Thalaivas are capable of when the team coordination clicks, with Ajay Thakur and K. Prapanjan’s combined 25 point hall the result of a fine partnership.

The Thalaivas took control in the beginning and built an early 4-0 lead. The Patna team lagged behind and fell to an All-Out in the 6^th minute amid their attempts to get back into the game. The All-out brought the scoreline to 9-2 in favour of the Thalaivas, the safety net of the lead gradually freed up Thakur and Prapanjan to wreak more havoc on the Pirates’ defence. A woefully unprepared side, the Patna Pirates fell to a second All-Out in the 16^th minute, expanding the deficit to 25-11. The Thalaivas ended the first half with a mighty lead of 18 points.

The Patna Pirates got back into the second half after a talking-to on the sidelines, with the defence displaying a more aggressive play style. The Pirates further built up on this momentum to pick up a few raid points. Leading 31-20 within the final 10 minutes of the match, the Thalaivas were dealt an All-Out by a vengeful Pirates’ side still hoping to claim the top spot in Zone B. The Pirates continued to close in on their rivals through Pardeep Narwal’s raiding, but the Thalaivas smart defensive play was not making it easy. 

A final 2-point raid by K.Prapanjan was all it took to seal the match in favour of the Thalaivas and sentence the defending champions to 2^nd place in Zone B.