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UP Yoddha's woes in the fifth season of the Pro Kabaddi League continue and their home leg is proving to be quite unlucky for the side. They lost the first four matches they played in Lucknow and had to settle for a tie against the Tamil Thalaivas on Wednesday.
They started off well to amass a great lead and seemed unstoppable in the first half. But just as the second one began, the Tamil Nadu side struck back. It was end-to-end stuff and by the end of the match, both teams finished with the same points, thanks to an incredible tackle by Amit Hooda on raider Rishank Devadiga in the final raid.
Captain Nitin Tomar spoke to the press after the match and was critical of team-mate Rishank. He mentioned, “We played this game as a practice match, so that we remain relaxed and focus only on the game. In the end, Rishank’s overconfidence cost us the points.”
The UP coach very easily blamed it all on the captain’s injury. He commented, “Our game was a little weak today because of Nitin’s injury. Everyone else played very well. Rishank’s mistake, in the end, was a huge blunder."
"After a big lead in the first half, the team got sluggish in the second. Our aim for today’s match was to play well and the players put on a great show," he added. "There is immense pressure on the players to win a match in the home leg and we are working very hard to get it.”
The coach also explained his strategy and told that they were looking to go after Vineet, as he is one of the best raiders for the Thalaivas. The lack of coordination in the team was accepted by both the captain and the coach, who also promised that they will get that elusive win on Thursday and all the problems within the team will soon be resolved.
Tamil Thalaivas star Amit Hooda said after the match, “The team has very high hopes from me but it is very unfortunate that I have not been giving my 100%."
He also reserved praise for one of his team's young stars, saying, "Our team’s youngest player Pradap has been performing exceptionally well. He is only eighteen years old, but his timing and swiftness are perfect.”
Thalaivas coach Bhaskaran also praised his side's comeback from a miserable start and said, “Our planning and strategies failed miserably in the first half. After some changes in the second half, I was very confident about the players and their game. My team has players who are fighters and they displayed great courage to fight back."
