Mumbai: Telugu Titans notched up a win in their Interzone match of the Pro Kabaddi League here Tuesday after they got better of their opponents Puneri Paltan 28-25.
For the Telugu Titans, Rahul Chaudhari (8 points), Nilesh Salunkhe (6 points), Krushan Madane (4 points) emerged as heroes. Pune made a splendid comeback in the dying moments of the game but that wasn’t enough for a win. Telugu Titans took an initial 3-1 lead after a few `empty’ raids by the Pune team. But a Super Tackle in the seventh minute by Pune brought them back into the game to reduce the deficit to 4-5.
Another Super Tackle by Puneri Paltan helped them to level scores 6-6, with 10 minutes remaining for the end of first half. But Telugu Titans soon came back and inflicted the first `all out’ of the match to surge ahead to 11-7 and successful raids kept on increasing their lead which soon became 14-8. Rahul Chaudhari earned his side another two points to make it 17-8.
At the halfway stage, Telugu Titans comfortably were poised ahead at 17-11. After the change of ends, Telugu Titans inflicted another All Out as their lead surged to 22-12 with 15 minutes for the final whistle. When it seemed that Hyderabad could win it easily, Pune seemed to bounce back with a few successful raids and tackles to make it 19-27, but still were playing the catch-up game.
Pune inflicted their first All Out to make it 24-27, but Telugu Titans held their nerves to emerge triumphant. Today, Tamil Thalaivas take on Haryana Steelers while U Mumba clash with Bengaluru Bulls. In the second match of the day, U Mumba defeated UP Yoddha 41-24.