U Mumba displayed plenty of character and belief as they rallied brilliantly to turn around a 13-15 first-half deficit and emerge convincing 39-32 winners over Jaipur Pink Panthers in the 6th Vivo Pro Kabaddi League in Chennai on Wednesday.
Once again it was raiders Siddharth Desai and Rohit Baliyan who came to the party, finishing with 13 and 7 points respectively to help U Mumbai claw their way back after a shaky start, which saw them concede an all-out early in the first half.
However, once their nerves settled down it was a class act from U Mumba as they asserted their ascendancy and dominated the opponents in every department, winning two all outs in return. U Mumba first drew parity at 23-23 with just over 10 minutes to go and while it was neck and neck for a while, U Mumba always looked to be in control of the proceedings.
Captain Atrachali was a calming influence on his team as he marshaled the defense and they kept their nerves where it mattered most to keep increasing their lead in the closing moments. Once Mumba took the lead at 31-30 with a super tackle that fetched them two points, there was no looking back.
“We had belief in ourselves as a team and never gave up,“ said the captain when asked what was the turning point of the match. He also said that when one player didn’t work they immediately switched to another, indicating his team’s all-round strength.
Striding the arena like a colossus, Siddharth Desai once again did the star turn for U Mumba, finishing with 13 points from 17 raids. Desai was well supported by Baliyan, who finished with 7 points.
“My captain always tells me to play without pressure, no matter who the opponent is or how big his reputation is. That is what I do,” said Desai when asked about his strategy when going in for raids. Desai also sounded an ominous note for his opponents when he said “I have not played my 100 percent in the first two matches and am looking forward to better performances.”
Siddharth, deservedly won the Best Raider award, while captain Fazel Atrachali was named Ace Defender.
Having shared points with Puneri Paltan in the opener, this solid performance will augur well for U Mumba as the league progresses.