NEW DELHI, 19 July 2006 — India’s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar is set to return to international cricket in August after a four-month absence due to shoulder surgery, an official said yesterday.
“The report we have got from our physiotherapist John Gloster is that Sachin is fit to play,” Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah told AFP. “He is available for selection again.” The 33-year-old will not undergo a formal fitness test, which had been scheduled for today in Bombay, to make himself available for a limited-overs tri-series in Sri Lanka next month also featuring South Africa.
“There is no need for the fitness test any more,” said Shah. “He has been cleared to play by the physiotherapist.” The Indian team for the Aug. 14-29 tri-series will be selected in Mumbai tomorrow.
Tendulkar, who underwent surgery in April, was forced to skip seven one-dayers at home against England and was ruled out of the recent tour of the West Indies.
India badly missed the services of the frontline batsman in the Caribbean, where they lost the one-dayers 4-1 and drew the first three Tests but won the fourth to take the series 1-0.
Tendulkar, one of the game’s finest batsmen, has scored a world record 35 Test and 39 one-day centuries.
He is the fourth-highest scorer in Test cricket with 10,469 runs in 132 matches, behind only West Indian skipper Brian Lara and Australians Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
Tendulkar is also the world’s leading one-day batsman with 14,146 runs in 362 matches, but an international career spanning 16 years has taken a toll on his body.
He has been plagued with numerous injuries in recent times including a tennis elbow that also required surgery two years ago.
Tendulkar said last week the shoulder injury was “the biggest of all I have had.” “It has been tough and taken a long time to fix it and get back into action,” he said.
Tendulkar played for English celebrity club Lashings earlier this month to test his recovery and scored four centuries in five matches to show he was match-fit.
In a recent interview he described his latest battle with fitness as the “greatest test of character” but added he was determined to win. “If you are unlucky, you will get injured even if you are the fittest guy in the world. What I don’t want to lose is the desire to get back in action and the hunger to go out there and perform,” he said.
India need Tendulkar in prime form for the World Cup in the Caribbean in March-April next year, but a lot of cricket remains to be played before that. After the tri-series in Sri Lanka, India will take part in the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy at home in October-November before touring South Africa at the end of the year for three Tests and five one-dayers.
Kumble Gives Surrey New Spin on Selection Headache
In London, India leg-spinner Anil Kumble faces a battle to force his way into the Surrey team after the English county found themselves with an embarrassment of slow bowling riches.
The English side have hired Kumble as one of their overseas players and was due to arrive in London yesterday.
Surrey have gone to the top of the second division this season on the back of 68 wickets taken by spinners Ian Salisbury and Nayan Doshi.
“Nine months ago it was a no-brainer,” coach Alan Butcher told The Times. “But the two lads have done really well. Anyway, there is nothing in the rule book that says you can’t play three spinners in the same side and that’s what we are planning to do at Guildford (in their next fixture) this week.”
