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Gujarat Giants defeated defending champions Odisha Juggernauts 29-27 in the first semi-final match of the Ultimate Kho Kho 2024 on Thursday (January 11). The match took place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha.
The Juggernauts won the toss and chose to attack first. They opted for the powerplay as the game began. However, it was to no avail as they conceded five Dream Run points to the first batch of the Gujarat Giants.
The Giants' Batch 1 troubled the opponent for five minutes and 13 seconds and made a mockery of the Odisha-based franchise's defense. The hosts led 10-5 at the end of the first turn.
Gujarat Giants continued their fine run in the match, bagging 14 attack points in the second turn. The Juggernauts failed to earn any points in Turn 2, trailing 10-19 at half-time.
Odisha Juggernauts managed to earn only 14 attack points in Turn 3 to take a five-point lead in the game. The score read 24-19 in favor of the defending champions.
Trailing by five points, Gujarat Giants were back on the mat to attack in the final turn of the match. The Giants' attacker tagged the third defender of Batch 1 in 2:59 seconds to deny the Odisha Juggernuats a Dream Run point.
The Giants had taken a one-point lead with four minutes to go on the clock. Odisha Juggernauts' defenders had to avoid getting a touch and stay on the mat for over three minutes to add points to their tally.
The Juggernauts earned three Dream Run points to keep their hopes alive in the game. However, the Giants managed to tag a couple of defenders in Batch 2 to bag a two-point win in a thrilling semi-final encounter.
Had the Giants not tagged two defenders, the scores would have been leveled at 27-27 and we would have seen the game head into extra time.
Odisha Juggernauts vs Gujarat Giants: Match Stats
Here are the important stats from the Ultimate Kho Kho 2024 semi-final clash between Odisha Juggernauts and Gujarat Giants:
Sky Dive Points: Odisha Juggernauts (6) vs Gujarat Giants (2)
Pole Dive Points: Odisha Juggernauts (2) vs Gujarat Giants (2)
Total Touch Points: Odisha Juggernauts (16) vs Gujarat Giants (20)
Dream Run Points: Odisha Juggernauts (3) vs Gujarat Giants (5)
