Key Points

It was a game of two halves, with the Toofans leading early on, only to lose momentum midway, and the Defenders claiming the win, as per a press release from PVL.

Delhi skipper and setter Saqlain Tariq used the middle option effectively early on. Jasim made his presence felt in the front court with his blocks, but service errors from the Toofans kept the game in balance.

Delhi's Jesus Chourio troubled the Defenders' defence with attacks from the right, and Carlos Berrios' super serve tilted the game in Delhi's favour. Gaining in confidence, Chourio provided unpredictability with his attacks, while Anu James, too, joined in on the action.

But Shon T John's presence on court gave Ahmedabad a newfound rhythm to begin their counterattack. A risky super point paid dividends for the Defenders with Shon T's thunderous spike, and the Defenders opened up the doors for a comeback. Bringing Abhinav on court also proved fruitful as Ahmedabad's defence improved, and the momentum shifted.

Battur Batsuri found his footing late in the game, proving his worth for Ahmedabad. Akhin posed tough questions for Delhi with consistent blocks. The game went to a photo finish, and eventually, Ahmedabad had the last laugh, winning the match 3-2 to claim two points.

Also, the Mumbai Meteors executed a clinical 15-9, 15-13, 15-7 win over the hosts Hyderabad Black Hawks on Saturday. Shubham Chaudhary was named the Player of the Match.

Mumbai dominated with the serve early on, catching Hyderabad out of position on multiple occasions. Abhinav Salar's super serve rocked Hyderabad's defence. Hyderabad's risky call of super point did not yield the desired result as Shubham Chaudhary's block helped Mumbai.

Paulo Lamounier distributed his passes between Niyas Abdul Salam and Sahil Kumar, who both provided quality attacking options. But Mumbai appeared to have done their homework, always employing a two-man block against the two attackers to give themselves the best possible defence.

Mathias Loftesnes joined in to compliment Mumbai's attacks, while Hyderabad brought on Guru to break through the opposition's defence. But Mumbai continued to capitalise on the momentum with Shubham's relentless attacks.

Lamounier began setting pipe attacks with John Joseph on court as the Black Hawks tried to find a way back. But Hyderabad struggled against Abhinav's final set service run, as the Mumbai blocker made two quick super serves, and two more aces to tilt the game completely in Mumbai's favour. The Meteors' dominated throughout the game to get a 3-0 win.

- ANI