Tamil Thalaivas vs Jaipur Pink Panthers match review

A second straight loss for the Tamil Thalaivas at home, with Ajay Thakur’s 13 points not enough to prevent a close defeat. Last minute points are a common occurrence at Thalaivas games and this game was decided by precious tackle points, courtesy of Jaipur’s Manjeet Chhillar.

The teams had a cautious air about them, owing to both sides losing their previous games. Ajay Thakur started the game off well for the Thalaivas, but was a victim of Jaipur’s first raid through Pawan Kumar. Do-or-die raids were the order of the day, with Tushar’s 4 points being the highlight of the first quarter. The Jaipur Pink Panther’s lost momentum through the knee injury of Selvamani. K.  Jaipur recovered quickly through three successful raids that reduced the Thalaivas to just one man on the mat. 

The Thalaivas were quick to retaliate as Ajay Thakur pulled off a raid and super tackle to keep his team ticking on. As the teams rallied against each other, the Panthers pulled off an All-out against the Thalaivas to ensure a 17-15 lead as they entered the break.

The 3^rd quarter of the match saw both teams return to cautious strategies. Once again both teams relied on do-or-die raids to score points. The Thalaivas introduced Dong Geon Lee in to back up Ajay Thakur in the raiding department. In blazing form, Thakur achieved a super 10 through consecutive do-or-die raids. With scores tied at 20-20 entering the 4^th quarter, the Panthers reverted to a defensive play style. The tempo of the game swiftly escalated as both teams found themselves in a thrilling back-and-forth of raids and tackles. An astounding tackle by Manjeet Chhillar flattened K. Prapanjan and sealed the match in favour of the Jaipur Pink Panthers.