U Mumba rally to beat UP Yoddha

U Mumba showed their experience to beat UP Yoddha 37-34 in a thrilling encounter in Lucknow on Saturday night. In a game where the pendulum swung both ways, it was U Mumba who showed their composure to make a good start to inter zonal challenge of Pro Kabaddi League. Shabeer Bapu scored 13 points for U Mumba and skipper Anup Kumar contributed eight points. Rishank Devadiga scored 14 points for UP Yoddha but it wasn’t enough.

UP Yoddha got off to a flying start as Devadiga came up with a super raid in the second minute to lead 4-0. Anup got U Mumba going with a raid point in the third minute. UP Yoddha led 6-3 after minutes as they looked to assert their dominance over the visitors.

An all out was inflicted on U Mumba in the ninth minute as they railed 4-12. Anup scored another raid point in the 10th minute for U Mumba. After 15 minutes, the hosts led 15-8 as Devadiga had six raid points. Bapu scored two points in the 20th minute for U Mumba. U Mumba went into the break trailing 12-15. U Mumba began the second half strongly as they inflicted an all out in the first minute to level the game at 16-16. They stretched their lead to 19-17 in the 22nd minute as they sent Nitin Tomar to the bench.

Devadiga scored three points in the 26th minute as UP Yoddha led 23-22. Darshan Kadian responded with a two-point raid in the next minute for U Mumba. UP Yoddha inflicted the second all out in the 30th minute to lead 29-26.

Bapu scored his 11th point of the match in the 32nd minute as U Mumba trailed 28-31. Kadian got another two-point raid in the 34th minute as U Mumba levelled the match at 31-31.

With less than five minutes to go, U Mumba inflicted their second all out to lead 35-31. UP Yoddha cut the deficit to two points as they trailed 33-35 after 37 minutes. U Mumba kept their nerve in the last two minutes of the match and won 37-34.