Tendulkar not to play Test series

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, AUG. 10. For the first time in 12 years India will play a Test series (against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka) without Sachin Tendulkar. The batting maestro informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday afternoon that he had not sufficiently recovered from the foot injury to be able to play the three-Test series against Sri Lanka. The first Test starts in Galle on August 14.

The foot injury he suffered during the Coca Cola tri- series in Zimbabwe brings to an end his record of 84 straight Test appearances since he made his debut against Pakistan in Pakistan in 1989 under the captaincy of Krishnamachari Srikkanth.

After informing the BCCI Hon. Secretary, Mr. Jaywant Lele, that he would not be available for the Test series, Tendulkar faxed a short report to the BCCI office in Baroda in which he had explained the reasons that had compelled him to rule out his playing the Test series in Sri Lanka and also the immediate course of action he had to take to correct the damaged part of his foot.

``A bone scan and CT scan was repeated yesterday (August 9), almost four weeks after the initial scans done on July 17. The new scans have showed no signs of healing the fracture of the sesamoid bone of the great toe of the right foot. The pain continues to be there. Hence, after consulting certain senior specialists (Dr. Arvind Dholakia and Dr. Anant Joshi), it has been decided to consider some other alternative treatment, which may include either a local injection or even surgery.''

After the Indian team's return from Zimbabwe in July and after the first scan of the injured part of his right foot Tendulkar was hopeful of joining the team for the Test series. But on Thursday night he received, perhaps, the worst news after the scans were done at the Hinduja Hospital. More than his legion of followers, Tendulkar himself must be concerned with the injury (sesamoid bone) that has not healed even after a month.

Baroda's Jacob Martin will fly to Colombo on Sunday morning. The right-handed batsman will be the 16th member of the team. Martin was on stand-by for Tendulkar, the selectors having made their choice known when they met here to select the team for the Test series.

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Section  : Sport
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