India A score comfortable win after being assured of final spot

Venkatesh Prasad's first spell in which he dismissed both openers Sachin Tendulkar and Jai P Yadav in his first four overs, followed by a 167-run second wicket partnership between Sridharan Sriram (85) and skipper Rahul Dravid (92) paved the way for a comfortable victory for India A in their final league match of the Challenger Series at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 285, India A lost Sadagopan Ramesh for just four runs with the score on 19. But Sriram and Dravid set India A on the road to victory with their partnership which lasted 25.1 overs. While the left handed opener Sriram faced 97 balls and hit eight fours and a six, Dravid's runs were scored off just 88 balls and he hit nine fours and a six. After they left, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Jacob Martin added 62 runs for the fourth wicket off 13.2 overs. Kanitkar left with only ten runs required. India A finally acheived their target with six wickets and eight balls to spare. However by reaching 241, India A had made sure of their entry into the final where they will play India Seniors on Thursday.

Earlier, a fourth wicket partnership of 171 runs off 25.2 overs between Dinesh Mongia and Amay Khurasiya helped India B to reach a fighting total of 284.

Sachin Tendulkar set the tempo by striking three boundaries in the second over from Venkatesh Prasad. Tendulkar cracked five boundaries off Prasad before driving one straight back to him. Tendulkar fell in the fourth over after making 24 runs off just 15 balls.

The other opener JP Yadav (14) was caught by RS Sodhi in the covers off Prasad off the last ball of the eighth over. Mohd Kaif (5) who played a little gem of an innings last evening, was dismissed off the first ball of the following over by Agarkar, caught by Sanghvi and India B were reeling at 49 for three.

However then came the stand between Mongia and Khurasiya. With both batsmen quickly into their stride, runs came in a hurry, with both the batsmen running like lightning between the wickets. The innings was punctuated with sixes and fours at regular intervals. A hapless Rahul Dravid made frequent bowling changes, but on this batting paradise, nothing could be done.

Local lad Balaji Rao was brought into bowl from the pavilion end and did more harm to his dwindling reputation. Rao gave the batsmen a good stock of long hops and half volleys. Khurasiya stepped out and lofted Rao over long-off for one of the biggest six of the day, over long off.

At the end of the 30th over, India B were cruising along at 192/3. In the following 20 overs, they scored 92 more runs and were bowled out for 284 runs in 49.3 overs.

Khurasiya's thunderbolt of an innings came to end when he was smartly stumped by Nayan Mongia off Rahul Sanghvi. Khurasiya made 90 runs off 84 balls with the help of four massive sixes and eight powerfully struck boundaries.

At the fall of Khurasiya's wicket, India B were 220/4 and they never really recovered after that. Mongia was caught by Martin of an impressive Agarkar after making 84 runs off 83 balls. Mongia's innings was punctuated with six boundaries and two sixes.

Rakesh Patel, playing for Dodda Ganesh, and Sukhbinder Singh departed without bothering the scorers, to leave the India B innings in shambles at 233/7. Vijay Dahiya (9) was brilliantly run out by Rahul Dravid at 249 in the 43rd over.

Captain Robin Singh tried his best to resurrect the fortunes of his team. He struck a powerful blow over mid-wicket off Balaji Rao for a six. Nikhil Chopra (13) holed out a catch to Ramesh at long-off in an effort to go for big runs in the last over bowled by Prasad. Of the next ball, Prasad had Surendra Singh yorked all over for a first ball duck, wrapping up the India B innings. Robin Singh remained unbeaten on 30. Venkatesh Prasad (4/48) and Ajit Agarkar (3/37) were the successful bowlers.