Hyderabad, Nov 30 (IANS): Arjun Deshwal and V Ajith were on fire as the Jaipur Pink Panthers swatted away the challenge from the Bengaluru Bulls, winning by a scoreline of 45-25, at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.
While Arjun was the star of the show for the Jaipur Pink Panthers, it was Bharat who registered another Super 10 for the Bengaluru Bulls.
For the Bengaluru Bulls, it was Bharat who started off with the first points, while the Jaipur Pink Panthers turned to Rahul Chaudhari and Sahul Kumar for first points in a slow-paced start to the game. The Jaipur Pink Panthers' defence was in fine form, setting the tone of the contest, thwarting the Bengaluru Bulls' raids with some incredible tackles.
The advantage and efforts reflected on the scorecard, with Sahal Kumar and Ankush all scoring tackle points, giving the Jaipur Pink Panthers a 4-point lead within the first ten minutes of the first half. Soon enough, Arjun Deshwal and V Ajith got going as well, helping the Jaipur Pink Panthers stretch their lead further. By the time the players went in for the breather, the Jaipur Pink Panthers led the Bengaluru Bulls by 25-10.
Bharat needed the supporting cast to step up in the second half for the Bengaluru Bulls, but it was Arjun and co who were keeping the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the box seat. Bharat was soldiering on for his side, but the task on had continued to get tougher as the opponents maintained their firm grip on the contest. Arjun had notched up his Super 10 while Ankush and Reza Mirbagheri were leading the charge in defence.
As the final ten minutes kicked off, the Bengaluru Bulls trailed by 20 points and the Jaipur Pink Panthers continued to keep them at arm's length. Not for once did the Jaipur Pink Panthers let their levels drop in the final moments, eventually running out as comfortable winners on the night.