It was the first loss in seven matches for the Tamil Nadu team, which had secured three wins and as many ties from its previous six fixtures. Maninder Singh (12 raid points) delivered a captain’s performance for Bengal that returned to winning ways. Manjeet (8 raid points) and skipper PO Surjeet Singh (5 tackle points) impressed, but could not help Thalaivas earn a point from the defeat.

Bengal cover defender Amit Narwal (5 tackle points) initiated a successful ‘Super Tackle’ in the fifth minute to give his team the early edge.

Warriors built on the momentum and made sure Thalaivas did not have more than three members on the mat for a few minutes. While Surjeet produced two ‘Super Tackles’ in quick succession, Bengal inflicted the first ‘All Out’ in the seventh minute.

The TN team introduced substitute Ajinkya Pawar, but had to settle for a four-point deficit (16-20) at half-time. Both sides played it safe in the first 10 minutes of the second period. Bengal piled more misery on its opponent with a second ‘All Out’, thanks to a stunning tackle from Ran Singh. The Maninder-led side was ahead by 11 points with seven minutes remaining on the clock. The arrears proved too many to clear for Thalaivas.