Telugu Titans showed that they have some fight in them. (Source: Pro Kabaddi) Telugu Titans showed that they have some fight in them. (Source: Pro Kabaddi)

The Telugu Titans were playing for the last time at home this season and all they could show was that they have some fight in them. Only rarely have we seen Titans’ raiders exhibiting as much urgency as they did in the last few minutes of the match against Patna Pirates on Thursday. But the odds in front of them were stacked as high as a minaret of the Charminar. Both Rahul Chaudhari and Pardeep Narwal got Super 10s, as did Patna’s Monu Goyat but the score was 36-43 in favour of the Patna Pirates.

The match started well for the Pirates as they took a 3-0 lead. The Titans’ first point finally came in the form of a raid point for Nilesh Salunke. The stadium exploded at that point. It is something that happened quite a few times during the match and, indeed, through the course of the week in Hyderabad. Regardless of what the margin of defeat may be, the home crowd would cheer for every single point that the Titans get.

Pardeep Narwal exploited the Telugu Titans’ defensive frailties. (Source: Pro Kabaddi) Pardeep Narwal exploited the Telugu Titans’ defensive frailties. (Source: Pro Kabaddi)

Narwal exploited the Titans’ defensive frailties while his defenders took care of the opposition raids. Hyderabad were finally all out for the first time in the match just before it reached the halfway point and the score 16-23 in favour of Patna Pirates.

The second half started with the Pirates rampaging on. In the first five minutes of the second half, the Titans got just one point while Patna got six. The score soon became 32-17 in favour of the Pirates and for the first time, the echoes of mutiny started doing the rounds of the Gachibolwli stadium. Many in the crowd wearing Titans shirts could be seen cheering on Narwal with an almost sarcastic tone to it.

In the last seven minutes, Telugu Titans took seven points. (Source: Pro Kabaddi) In the last seven minutes, Telugu Titans took seven points. (Source: Pro Kabaddi)

The players responded to that. Rahul Chaudhari took two point by sticking a hand out to the mid line from under two defenders. Narwal was then tackled out. But then Patna Pirates got a Super Tackle on Rahul Chaudhari. It was one step forward two steps back for the Titans in that period of the match. Every time they would look like they were making a comeback, the Pirates would do something to put the match further out of their reach. Their tally soon crossed the 40-point mark.

In the last seven minutes, the Titans took seven points and the Pirates managed just one. If those few minutes were the only ones that mattered, the Titans would have won the match on a canter. But, a Pro Kabaddi match is 40 minutes long and over that time, Patna Pirates had the better defensive unit and that reflected on the scoreline.

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