Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five talking points from Day 26 of PKL 5

#5 Pune defence steps up when needed

Kashiling Adake's absence in the last minutes of the game hurt U Mumba

U Mumba had done almost everything right on the night to have their noses ahead in the game until the 35th minute. The bringing on of Nitin Madane as a substitution raised a few eyebrows, though. In hindsight, it would prove to be the turning point because champion teams like Puneri Paltan wait for the smallest of windows of opportunities to open to make a big mark and Madane presented that opportunity for them.

And they did make a mark.

Leading by example was their captain Deepak Niwas Hooda, who had a forgettable outing in the last match but was up and running on Saturday night. Hooda had already brought in seven raid points when he brought down Nitin Madane with an ankle hold to give his team the lead.

Next came in Anup Kumar, U Mumba's best hope to salvage a point, and with it, a draw. But he was pummelled over by the man they call the 'Beast' - Sandeep Narwal. With that dash of Sandeep Narwal, the fate of the game had been sealed as a two point lead in the dying moments proved to be a mountain too high for the U Mumba unit to climb who succumbed to their second Maharashtra derby defeat, both coming in Season 5.