Bengaluru Bulls end their home game with a narrow win over Jaipur Pink Panthers
The Bengaluru Bulls registered a well-deserved and hard-fought 32-30 win against the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the last match of the second leg at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
BENGALURU, December 13, 2023: The Bengaluru Bulls recorded a well-deserved and hard-fought 32-30 win against the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the last match of the second leg at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. An excellent defensive performance saw the Bulls score an impressive 13 tackle points, eight of which came from defensive corners Saurabh Nandal and Aman.
Despite the Bulls’ quick start on the mat, the Pink Panthers’ defensive prowess came to the fore as they slowly pulled away on the scoreboard. Despite the lack of multi-point attacks, the Bulls soon faced an all-out. Bharat’s 50th raid point of the season came at the cost of an ALL OUT as the Pink Panthers took a 10-6 lead.
However, that setback did little to dent the hopes of the home team, who slowly got back into the game. The Bulls tightened their offensive and defensive moves to keep the Pink Panthers on the back foot. The teams went into the break with the Pink Panthers leading by one point at 15-14.
Once again the Pink Panthers came out of the blocks faster in the second half and built a good lead, but the Bulls hit back quickly enough. They performed an ALL OUT themselves to reach a level of 21 each. The difference was a tightening of the defense. The Bulls recorded a whopping 8 tackle points, six more than their opponents in the second half alone.
A war of attrition ensued, with neither team managing to build a lead of more than a point until the final minute of the match. Vikash Kandola went in for the Bulls’ final attack as they finally built a two-point lead. Although the Pink Panthers attacked, Ankush tackled him almost immediately, cutting the lead to one with just one raid remaining. V Ajith Kumar was given the responsibility of helping the Pink Panthers at least level the match, but he was brilliantly outmaneuvered by a determined Bulls defence, causing delirium in the stands.