Dravid en route to his 115 on Wednesday. (PTI)

Mumbai: India A whipped India B by 90 runs with 13.1 overs to spare to book their berth in Thursday?s final against India Senior in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

India A rode on skipper Rahul Dravid?s splendidly compiled 96-ball 115 to pile up an imposing total of 294 for nine in 50 overs. It set their rivals, a stiff asking rate of 5.9 to win the match.

But India B were unequal to the task despite the presence of stalwarts Virender Sehwag, the team skipper who batted at No. 4, and No. 3 batsman V.V.S. Laxman and collapsed for 204 in only 36.5 overs.

Left-arm spinner Murli Kartik bowled a fine opening spell of five overs in which he sent back opener and top scorer Robin Uthappa (66 of 48 balls with 12 fours) and Rohan Gavaskar. He later bowled five balls to add another victim to his kitty and finished with fine figures of three for 26.

He was given good support by left-arm slow bowler Dinesh Mongia (3/47).

Earlier, Dravid?s better than run-a-ball lifted India A from a modest start to the imposing total on a good batting wicket.

Dravid paced his innings to a nicety after coming to the crease at the fall of the second wicket in the ninth over and was out in the 44th over for a superbly compiled 115. It contained 15 well-struck fours and a sweetly timed six over long on off Ramesh Powar.

The India A skipper and Mohammed Kaif, who too batted very well and ran singles and twos smartly in making 63 in 75 balls, put on 124 runs in 21 overs for the fourth wicket to give impetus to the innings which got bogged down at 73 for 3 in the 15th over.

The departure of Satyajit Parab at 73, who fell to Sehwag, brought together Dravid and Kaif who had helped India A chase the stiff 281-run target set by India Senior on the opening day of the tournament with an unbroken stand of 77.

The duo began slowly and then started to go for the bowling which looked totally pedestrian after Nehra and Amit Bhandari were both off the firing line.

Kaif should have departed on 15 with the score on 104 but for wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel?s let off on the bowling of Powar. (PTI)