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UP Yoddha and Tamil Thalaivas provided Pro Kabaddi 2019 with yet another memorable encounter as they played out a memorable 28-28 draw, the outcome of which was decided by Ajay Thakur in the very last raid of the match.
It was the Yoddha who started strongly - inflicting an all out in the first half as they headed into the break with the lead. However, the Thailavas came charging back, grabbing an all out of their own, making the match a titanic tussle in the last few minutes.
However, it was the defenders who stood out for both sides across the mat - as UP's Sumit snapped up four points on the left corner. On the other hand, Manjeet Chhillar came up with yet another commanding performance - picking up four points and leading the team from the back as he always does.
#5 UP off to flier after aggressive start
Both teams began the game desperate for the victory and it showed in the way the match started as the first four raids all saw points being scored. The teams were locked at 2-2, after which a set of Do-or-Die raids saw the teams locked at 3-3 after five minutes.
However, from there, it was the Yoddha who kicked on and took just five minutes to inflict the first all-out of the match and seize the initiative. It was a mixture of both a solid attack and defence for UP that did the trick and gain a useful lead against an opposition filled with quality players.
Monu Goyat and Shrikant Jadhav registered one and two points respectively for UP on their raids, while the team's two corners - Nitesh Kumar and Sumit also stood tall, picking up a point each, and completed the all-out.
#4 Ajay Thakur's woes continue in the first half
Veteran Ajay Thakur, who leads the Indian national team, is one of the Pro Kabaddi League's biggest icons in its seven seasons so far and has the numbers to show for it - registering 770 points in 106 matches, at an average of seven raid points per match.
However, he has flattered to deceive so far in season 7. Playing as a secondary raider to Rahul Chaudhari, Ajay has not been up to scratch - averaging just 4.25 raid points so far - a sharp decline from his previous record.
In the first half against UP, he was found wanting as he was unsuccessful in three out of four raids - costing his team three points and also failing to pick up even one. If the Thalaivas are to make it to the final stage, they will certainly need Ajay to up his game.
#3 All-out continues to elude Thalaivas
Trailing 16-11 at the break, the side from the South came back with style after the break as Ajay Thakur shrugged off his sluggish start and took three points in his first two raids - taking out the dangerous Nitesh with his first and then Sumit and Monu Goyat together.
UP were down to their last man on the mat at 16-15 but Amit saved the day with a fantastic effort, slipping under the Tamil Thalaivas chain and snapping up two points, while also reviving two of his teammates.
The momentum was still with the Thalaivas but they failed to make the most of it as the UP defence continued its strong run. They completed two Super Tackles in a row - getting rid of the dangerous Rahul Chaudhari and Ajay Thakur - and also opened up a six-point lead in the process at 23-17
#2 Two raids bring the Thalaivas level
With UP still down to three men, Shabeer Bappu finally got the job done for the Chennai team as he finally managed to succeed in a do-or-die situation on the raid. Attacking the Yoddha right corner, he did excellently to make use of the lobby and remove Ajit and Sumit.
The lone man Nitesh came in to raid and this time around, Manjeet Chhillar got the job done for his team - pulling off a trademark dash and making sure that there were no mistakes this time around from the Thalaivas.
The all-out was complete finally and as a result, the Thalaivas were back in the game at 23-23 as they picked up five points in two raids. The stage was thus set for a grandstand finish with nine minutes to go as both teams have provided in the last two seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League.
#1 Ajay salvages draw with the last raid
In the crucial last few minutes, it looked initially as if the Yoddha have the upper hand as they picked up three points on the trot to take a 26-23 lead with six minutes left on the clock. Monu Goyat and Rishank Devadiga picked up a point each and Shrikant Jadhav combined excellently with his teammates to pull off a crucial tackle.
However, the Thalaivas came roaring back once again as they equalized two minutes to go. Shabeer Bapu picked up another raid point while Ran Singh showed great strength to stop Rishank from escaping. Rahul Chaudhari was successful in his next attempt, snapping up Monu Goyat and taking the score to 26-26.
With a minute to go, it was 27-27 and UP were in a do-or-die situation with Rishank Devadiga coming to raid. Shabeer lost his patience and gave a point with a mistimed tackle, evoking major celebrations in the UP camp.
However, the match was not over yet. In the last raid of the match, Ajay Thakur delivered when it mattered the most, claiming a running hand touch on the right corner and ensuring that the points are split - for the third time - between the two teams.
