A team included in the competition merely to make up the numbers is not supposed to defeat its seniors - and that too by an eight wicket margin with four overs to spare.

And yet that is precisely what happened when India B, led by W V Raman, defeated Anil Kumble's India A in the penultimate game of the Challenger Trophy now on at the flood lit PCA stadium in Mohali.

In the process, the India B side turned in enough good performances to upset whatever preconcieved notions the national selectors, who were watching the action along with India coach Madan Lal, had. The more so as the India B win came against a bowling side led by Anil Kumble and boasting, besides, the likes of David Johnson, Paras Mhambrey, Robin Singh and Venkatapathy Raju.

Raman, who has in the past two seasons been leading the Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy side with a canny skill, gave further proof of his ability to size up a wicket when he inserted the opposition after winning the toss - a move amply rewarded when India B bowlers Salil Ankola and Sandeep Sharma quickly reduced the batting side to 33 for three. In the process, Vikram Rathore proved yet again that he was extremely vulnerable to reasonably quick bowling at the start of an innings, while Sanjay Manjrekar, out playing a poor stroke to Ankola to edge to the keeper, must have given the national selectors fresh reason to keep him out of the national playing eleven.

If the likes of Rathore and Manjrekar, considered almost sure bets for the Indian national side for the upcoming season, disappointed, then Test hopeful VVS Laxman, with a well compiled 67, and Test discard Robin Singh, who joined Laxman in a retrieving fourth wicket stand while scoring 91, gave enough proof of their abilities to press for inclusion in the senior side. Robin in particular was full of strokes all round the wicket, hitting both Sharma and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule for sixes and showing an aptitiude for shrewd placing and running between wickets.

These two were primarly responsible for ensuring that the batting side reached 232 in 50 overs for the loss of eight wickets, after having taken all of 18 overs to reach the first 50. 232, incidentally, was the highest total posted in this competition so far and, given the bowling strength of India A, should by rights have proved almost impossible for the India B side to chase.

Yet the third ranked team not only did the deed, but did it in style thanks to openers Raman and Sujith Somasundar, who put on 169 for the first wicket before Raman fell on 87, caught by Sanjay Manjrekar off Anil Kumble. But by that time, India B had virtually assured themselves of the game, with both batsmen making light of the opposing attack and treating both spin and pace alike with equal contempt.

Raman, the senior partner during the stand, was in total command during his 101 ball knock of 87, in course of which he square drove, pulled and glanced his way to 10 fours while ensuring that the first wicket partnership consumed a mere 34 overs.

Somasundar, who seemed content to let Raman have the bulk of the batting during the opening stand, showed his maturity when, on the fall of Raman's wicket, promptly shifted gears and took charge of accelerating the scoring. And so well did the 23-year-old do this that at the end, despite cramps that slowed his footwork and inhibited his running between wickets, he was unbeaten on 105 made off only 133 deliveries. And though skipper Anil Kumble quickly accounted for Samir Dighe, who came in at the fall of the first wicket in a bid to raise the scoring tempo, Punjab batsman Pankaj Dharmani proved equally comfortable against the India A bowling while partnering Somasundar to take his side past the winning post.

The performance on the day should prove a set back to the aspirations not only of Manjrekar and Rathore, but also of David Johnson, the Karnataka speedster whose 10 unsuccessful overs cost a mammoth 60 runs and in the process proved that sheer pace does not work on Indian wickets, as also of Venkatapathy Raju who went for 50 off his 10 overs. Anil Kumble's analysis of 10-1.32-2 was as economical as ever - but at the end of the day, the salient fact remains that the Indian deputy skipper had, despite a wealth of bowling at his command, failed to take more than two wickets of the juniormost side in the competition.

Be interesting to see what the Indian selectors make of it all, won't it?

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