The much anticipated star studded Rest of India (ROI) team will miss arguably its biggest star. Sachin Tendulkar has been done in by his elbow again and one wonders if he will indeed be fully fit when the Australians arrive for the Test series next month.
Sachin Tendulkar made himself available for selection for the Irani Trophy tie against the Delhi team and the selectors, in a bid to assess the form and fitness of the team that fell apart against Sri Lanka, promptly put him into the virtual Test line up. Tendulkar, who missed out on the one day series with the bruising he sustained again on his elbow, in addition to his chronic tennis elbow problem, hoped to get into some real match practice ahead of facing the Australia albeit at home.
However, after his one week stint with Paul Close, the physio at the National Cricket Academy, the decision was arrived at that Tendulkar required at least another week’s rest due to the stiffness in his elbow. With the recuperation process yet to complete itself, it was only natural that it would be pointless to strain the arm before the crucial Australian series.
While it now means one vacant spot in the line up, it is unlikely the selectors will be looking at Sourav Ganguly to fill in. Ganguly, who is on the domestic circuit, hoping to find form to state his case, has been virtually given the boot and it remains to be seen if this latest precautionary measure advocated for Tendulkar will cause the selectors to revise their thoughts and bring in the fourth angle in the ‘fab four’.

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