Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 talking points from Day 1 of PKL 5

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#4 Pune’s defence stifles the life out of U Mumba’s star studded raiding department

Before the fifth season, two notions have more or less assumed the status of 'truths' in Pro Kabaddi League – U Mumba hold the wood over Puneri Paltan in the much famed Maharashtrian derby with a head to head record of 7-1 in their favour. And there is no replacement for formidable defence if a team wants to put in a good performance. At least on Friday, one was proved correct while one wasn’t.

A star studded raiding department of U Mumba with the likes of Anup Kumar, Kashiling Adake, Shabeer Bapu and Nitin Madne in their ranks were left stunned by Puneri Paltan’s defence. In the first 10 minutes, except for Anup Kumar, all raiders were left warming the bench as the Pune defenders ably led by the experienced Cheralathan and Sandeep Narwal took the U Mumba raiders out one by one and racked up the points to effect an all out. Suddenly, with just 10 minutes of the match gone, U Mumba were staring at a mountain to climb