PKL 2019 | Defence didn’t perform that well in first half against Bengal Warriors, says Dharmaraj Cheralathan
Despite the win against Bengal Warriors on Monday, Haryana Steelers skipper Dharmaraj Cheralathan has stated that the team’s defence didn’t play well in the first half. Cheralathan has further added that after the initial plan failed, the team changed their strategy and that helped them win.
In a closely-fought battle on Monday, Haryana Steelers got the better of Bengal Warriors by 36-33 and their two major players Vikas Kandola and Dharmaraj Cheralathan played a vital role in the win. Skipper Cherala ended up with four tackle points and dominated the game in the second half. Kandola, on the other hand, was effective in the entire match and scored yet another Super 10. Speaking about their performance after the game, the captain explained that the defence was not that great in the first half.
“The defence didn’t perform that well in the first half and they got an All-Out. But we regrouped, changed our defence a bit and played and found success. We were raiding well and defending well too from there on in and won the contest,” Cheralathan told reporters.
Ever since Kandola joined the side, the Steelers have looked lethal with their performance this season. With raiding being their strong point now, as they have players like Prashanth Rai, Vinay and Naveen to support Kandola, the defence also stepped up in the previous game. After a lacklustre show in the first half, they modified their tactics for the second which paid off for the team.
“We went into the game with a plan but weren’t successful. So, we changed our plan at halftime and got successful, which was advantageous to the team. The raiders were finding success just like our defenders and that gave us the momentum for the win. The changes we made was that we brought in an extra defender instead of a raider,” the Haryana skipper explained.Â
“Prashanth Kumar Rai was replaced and we changed our approach to the game as well. I played both in the left and right corner positions and changed depending on how advantageous it was for the team.”