DEBUTANTS Gujarat Fortunegiants sealed their spot in the final of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 with a 42-17 victory over Bengal Warriors at the DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. Sachin managed a game-high nine points for Gujarat, while Abozar Mighani was their best defender with four tackle points.
The opening quarter of the contest was a little slow with neither side getting into their rhythm. Gujarat did have a 7-6 lead after 10 minutes but the match was still delicately poised and anyone’s for the taking.
Gujarat began to take control of the game as the match progressed with their resolute defence coming into its own. The Fortunegiants soon opened up an 11-7 lead, however, a super tackle on Sachin reduced that deficit and ensured that the Zone A toppers had to settle for a 13-10 lead at the break.
The Fortunegiants began the second half in top gear and inflicted an All-Out on Bengal in the 22nd minute to extend their lead to 18-10. Bengal had to wait till the 28th minute for the first points of the half courtesy of another super tackle that reduced Gujarat’s advantage to 22-12. A two-point raid on the half-hour mark by Mahendra Rajput though took away Bengal’s momentum from the super tackle and pushed them towards another All-Out in the 33rd minute for a 29-14 lead.
The Warriors did try to put up some fight but Gujarat’s robust defence wasn’t going to let such a huge lead slip as they went about their business efficiently and closed the game with solid tackles as well as tactical raids to run down the clock. The exclamation point came four minutes before the end of the match when Gujarat enforced a third All-Out on Bengal for a 38-16 lead. They eventually won 42-17 and will now play the winners of Qualifier 2 in the final on October 28.
Pro League Release.