Mumbai, Jan 7 (IANS): Puneri Paltan edged past Tamil Thalaivas in a thrilling contest to win 29-26 in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 match, here on Sunday. Mohammadreza Chiyaneh Shadloui (5 tackle points and 3 raid points) and Gaurav Khatri (6 tackle points) were Puneri Paltan’s best players, while Tamil Thalaivas’ skipper Sagar (7 tackle points) was their star performer.

The opening 20 minutes witnessed a see-saw battle between the two teams. Narender gave Tamil Thalaivas a dream start as he scalped a Super Raid to begin the match and Puneri Paltan were immediately forced onto the back foot. As the half wore on, both teams traded the lead and neither was able to take control of the proceedings as they both adopted a defensive approach.

A strategic 1st half ended with Puneri Paltan leading 12-11. It was the lowest number of points the side had scored all season.

Tamil Thalaivas began the half with a Super Tackle as Sagar and Himanshu trapped Mohit Goyat. However, that did not stop Puneri Paltan from cruising ahead as Aslam Inamdar got the better of Sagar to inflict the 1st All Out of the game. The table toppers held a narrow lead at 17-16 in the 24th minute.

The very next raid saw Shadloui escape with a Super Raid as he tagged two defenders and grabbed a bonus point. With Narender unable to score the big points, Tamil Thalaivas banked on their defence for points and a fine tackle from skipper Sagar on Pankaj Mohite saw him complete a High 5. It was then Shadloui’s turn to do the same as he stopped Narender with a rock-solid hold to claim his 5th tackle point in the 28th minute.

Tamil Thalaivas produced a mind-blowing comeback in the dying stages of the game. Two Super Tackles - from M Abishek and Sagar - saw Tamil Thalaivas trail by just 3 points in the 36th minute. And then a 3rd Super Tackle from Nitesh Kumar in the 38th minute reduced the deficit to just 1 point.

It all boiled down to the last raid, where the Tamil Thalaivas were playing with 3 men and Puneri Paltan had a do-or-die raid. Aslam went on a pursuit raid and claimed a touch on Nitesh, but the on-field umpires ruled in Tamil Thalaivas’ favour and awarded them 2 points. That meant the scores were tied at 28-28. However, Puneri Paltan reviewed the decision and the TV umpire overturned the decision as Aslam and team wrapped up a nail-biting match by picking up their 7th win on the trot.