Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five talking points from Day 43 of PKL 5

It was a fine day of Pro Kabaddi action on Friday as U Mumba were on a four-game win streak coming into the game, but it was snapped by the Gujarat Fortunegiants who got away late to win 39-28 and maintain their perfect record against U Mumba.

The home side, Patna Pirates, had earlier gotten their home leg off to a rollicking start with an impressive victory over the Telugu Titans and Rahul Chaudhari, winning 46-30.

Here's a look at what stood out on the opening night in Ranchi.

#1 Welcome back Sachin

Since leaving their home turf the Gujarat Fortunegiants have gone through some troubled times. Success hasn't traveled with them on the road and Sachin's form has been a key reason. His stellar showings early on laid the foundation for this team that defensively is one of the best in the league. With Sachin's points drying up, the team did not have any other reliable contributors in that department and it left the defence with too much to do.

Sachin rebounded in fine form today and his team needed it badly. He finished with 13 raid points, consistently getting the better of a U Mumba side that was in form coming into this game. It included a monster raid towards the end of the game that sealed the deal for the Fortunegiants.

His return to form will be a sigh of relief for coach Manpreet Singh and the rest of the side as they become a very daunting prospect when the raiders start contributing.

#2 Two huge plays save the game for the Fortunegiants

A Super Tackle and a Super Raid ensured a win for Gujarat in the end

After taking the lead in the final three minutes of the first half, the Fortunegiants led the rest of the way in their win against U Mumba. However, it was anything but an easy victory.

The Fortunegiants, having inflicted the only All Out until then in the contest, led 27-20 with 4:45 left in the game. On a Shrikant Jadhav Do-or-Die raid though, Gujarat's two Iranian powerhouses were both taken out -- Fazel Atrachali got himself out by stepping out of bounds while Shrikant got Abozar Mighani out with a touch. That reduced the deficit to five points and soon the alarm bells were ringing for Gujarat as they found themselves reduced to just three men on the mat and a 3-point lead on the scoreboard.

U Mumba were sensing an All Out and a potential win, but Gujarat stood firm. On a Kashiling Adake raid, Parvesh Bhainswal completely blindsided him, taking him by surprise to snap him up and give his team 2 points with a Super Tackle. Bhainswal finished with a High 5 on the night.

That pushed the lead back upto five and then Sachin wiped out the opposition on the next raid. With the pressure on, the youngster kept his calm and waited for the Mumba defence to pounce before escaping, getting 4-touch points on the way. It was a phenomenal raid in the circumstances that put the game to bed for the Fortunegiants as they went on to inflict a second All Out on Mumba soon after.

#3 Where are the Do or Die raids?

The Pirates and Titans went all out in the first half of their encounter

When a team has two empty raids in succession, it leads to a Do-or-Die raid on their next attempt. It is a tactic that many teams play on and even when the teams don't intentionally force, it is common to see it come about during the course of play.

Yet in the first half of the Pirates' clash against the Titans, it was almost non-existent. We rarely got to see a Do-or-Die raid, if at all, as both teams were picking up points almost every second raid, either through the raid or through their defensive effort. For one half, this was a contest where both teams just went all-out, did not pay much heed to tactical moves and concentrated on merely picking up as many points as possible.

It reflected in a very fast-paced encounter where the teams traded blows -- the Pirates started so swiftly out of the blocks and effected a quick All Out on the Titans before the Titans came roaring back with an All Out of their own, the home side then inflicting another before the break.

The Titans too seemed better suited to this approach as we have seen them struggle when they try to play a tactical game. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't sustain the effort in the second half, going back to some bad habits, which helped the Pirates run away with the game in the end.

#4 Rahul Chaudhari cuts a sorry figure

Raiding? Check. Leadership? Check. Smart decision-making? Check.

While the Pirates got the better of the Titans on the scoreboard, there was another mini-battle in this contest, that between Pardeep Narwal and Rahul Chaudhari -- two of the star raiders of this league. And, it was the youngster who once again got the better of his more seasoned rival in almost every department.

After staying with the Pirates, the Titans fell apart in the second half. Rather than an effort at stemming the tide, Rahul hardly did his side any favours with some abysmal play to the extent that one began to feel bad for him.

Rohit Rana led the Titans tonight, relieving Rahul of the captaincy in an effort to relieve some of the burden and allow him to express himself a little more. It seemed to be working in the first half but soon disappeared. His younger rival upstaging him front and centre and with things not going right for his side, Rahul allowed his frustrations to get the better of him.

One particular moment just perfectly summed up the situation -- his side already down 19-27, he went in for a needless tackle on Pardeep when none of the other defenders had initated anything. All he could get was Pardeep's shirt in his hands as he escaped with ease across the mid-line. It was almost comical as Rahul was left with egg on his face and a souvenir in his hands from his rival.

With 8:15 left, the Titans looking lifeless, Rahul impetuously went for a review when he wasn't awarded a Bonus Point. During the referral, he mentioned that he had made two attempts, both of which had been successful. The TV replay showed otherwise, as he had cut the bonus line on both occasions. The shocking review from Rahul and just another indicator of a frayed mindset. He refused to even listen to his coach, Naveen Kumar, late in the game.

Naveen told him to quit moving around all over the mat and instead target a defender or two and go for a touch. He didn't even bother to pay much attention and it showed on his next raid as he ignored every bit of advice that his coach had given. With him running around like a headless chicken, the Pirates defence converged on him quickly to effect the tackle and get him out.

Rahul Chaudhari, with all his skills, cannot afford performances like this which only doom his side further. He needs to find a way to adapt as the game has moved on - he is no longer the 'Raid Machine' as he used to be known. Defences have gotten smarter and he needs to as well. He needs to evolve and add a few layers to his game. A bit like what his younger rival Pardeep Narwal has done.

#5 The Patna Pirates aren't just about Pardeep Narwal

The Pirates got their home leg off in fantastic fashion with a crushing win over the Titans

Speaking of whom...

Pardeep Narwal had his ninth Super 10 of this season in 12 games tonight against the Telugu Titans. With 14 points to his name, he led all scorers for the game. But the Patna Pirates don't win just because of his phenomenal performances. They regularly put together superb all-round contributions that help their side to victory.

If by now, it has been established that Pardeep Narwal is perhaps better than Rahul Chaudhari, he also has the better wingman this season. Nilesh Salunkhe is by no means an average raider, but Monu Goyat, who emerged out of obscurity last season, has just been the perfect running mate for Pardeep.

He is so consistent that he almost assuredly picks up 6-7 points a night without anyone noticing. He had a Super 10 tonight that went completely under the radar, primarily due to Pardeep's efforts stealing the limelight. But those points are so crucial and helps Pardeep play with a lot of freedom, knowing that there is a very capable guy who can revive him instantly.

Vishal Mane and Jaideep were superb all night on defence. It's not always them though. There isn't one defender who always pops up with the tackle points. The responsibility is shared beautifully.

Pardeep broke Anup Kumar's record tonight for most points in a single season when he went past the 156-point mark, but he's not about the individual accolades. He has a brilliantly constructed team that he has led superbly, compared to some of his contemporaries, that has led to the Pirates positioning themselves at the top end of the table in Zone B.