A talisman’s true value is often realised in their absence. That is precisely what happened with the Kolkata Thunderbolts, partnered by The Telegraph My Kolkata, as they met with their first loss in the Prime Volleyball League (PVL), with Ashwal Rai only able to watch on from the sidelines.
Despite being named in the starting lineup for the match against the Hyderabad Black Hawks on Tuesday evening, Rai did not take to the court. The word coming from the Thunderbolts camp was that a niggle resulted in a last-minute withdrawal of their captain. The Black Hawks, spurred on by Rai’s absence, picked up from where they had left off against the Chennai Blitz and put in an impressive display. The 3-2 win for the Black Hawks means that the Ahmedabad Defenders remain the only team in the PVL to retain a perfect record.
Guru Prashant on a roll
So often in the PVL, the fourth set is what determines the destiny of the match. Before Tuesday, the Thunderbolts had saved their best volleyball for this exact juncture of the games, but against the Black Hawks, they seemed listless and frequently without a plan. Coach Sunny Joseph must have warned his players to block S.V. Guru Prashant carefully before the game, but those warnings were not heeded as the man-of-the-match spring spiked his way to glory in the decisive set. Aravindhan S was left with too much to do in defence while Matthew August failed to find his spiking groove with no Rai for support.
The Black Hawks started the stronger of the two teams, carrying forward their momentum from the match against the Chennai Blitz Courtesy: Kolkata Thunderbolts
Starting on the back foot
Hyderabad, drawing on the confidence of their five-set thrashing of the Blitz, started the match the brighter of the two teams. Once the Black Hawks established a healthy lead in the opening set, the outcome seemed a mere formality. Two unforced errors from the Thunderbolts handed the first set (15-8) and the initiative to Hyderabad.
The then league leaders produced a fitting reply by claiming the second set by 15-13. Despite their blocking feeling shoddy, the Thunderbolts began to attack better in the second set, with the likes of Rahul Ramesh K and Mohamed Riyazudeen finding their feet.
Hyderabad had a clear game plan to attack early during points and it paid off handsomely Courtesy: Kolkata Thunderbolts
The third set, however, forced the Thunderbolts back again, with Amit Gulia and mostly Guru Prashant landing one unstoppable spike after another. Guru Prashant put in one of those career-defining performances that seems even greater in retrospect. What would Kolkata have done for similar inspiration at their end!
Salvaging pride
Vinit Kumar and Matthew August came good in the final set as the Thunderbolts salvaged a second set win Courtesy: Kolkata Thunderbolts
After Guru Prashant dominated the fourth set as well, the Thunderbolts entered the fifth in search of precious points (in the semi-final standings) and some much-needed pride. Vinit Kumar, who was back on court, stepped up for a couple of sensational spikes while August finally landed some meaty blows of his own to hand the Thunderbolts the last set at 15-8.
This defeat need not be a crushing blow for the Thunderbolts. The monkey of a perfect record is now off their backs. Currently in the second spot, they still have two more round-robin matches to play. Their next clash, against the Ahmedabad Defenders on Saturday, is one of the most anticipated matches of the week.
With four days to rest and recover, the Thunderbolts should have enough time to nurse Rai back to full fitness, and perhaps more importantly, shake off Tuesday’s setback as the first and last blip on the road to the knockouts.
