Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's troublesome hamstring is no hindrance to his sixth World Cup participation
Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's troublesome hamstring is no hindrance to his sixth World Cup participation
Sachin Tendulkar, who returned home from South Africa after the first one-day international in Durban is well and all set to play his sixth World Cup.
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Sources close to the batting master told MiD DAY last evening that the hamstring injury sustained in South Africa is not so serious to put question marks of him being totally fit for the cricket's showpiece event which will kick off on February 19.
The BCCI has not provided any update on Tendulkar's injury apart from a press release on January 16 which said: "Sachin Tendulkar will not take further part in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa due to a hamstring injury. Parthiv Patel is being flown to South Africa as his replacement."
Fortunately, Tendulkar's absence is not affecting the team as they have won both their last two encounters against Graeme Smith's team to be 2-1 up in the five-match series. Both games were cliffhangers though.
Pundits reckon the 2011 World Cup could be Tendulkar's last after having figured in the 1992 (Australia and NZ), 1996 (Indian sub-continent), 1999 (United Kingdom), 2003 (Southern Africa) and 2007 (West Indies) editions.
Doubtless, it is going to be a special time for international cricket's senior-most player. India has not been able to repeat their 1983 triumph and this appears to be their best chance going by their form. The ability of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team to come back from precarious situations has been outstanding.
Left hand batsman Gautam Gambhir was recently quoted as saying, "I sincerely wish that this would not be Sachin's last World Cup and he would play one more. All members of the Indian side would like to win it for him."
Former captain Bishan Bedi echoed similar feelings. "This is a good team and they must win the trophy for Tendulkar. This will be his sixth World Cup and he has not figured in a winning team. Australia have won three on the trot and many of their players are not fit to tie Tendulkar's bootlaces," he said.
Tendulkar (37) has been known to play in pain. During the 2003 he played through a finger injury. While talking about his 20 greatest moments in 2009, the year he completed 20 years of international cricket, he revealed: "I was playing with a finger injury and the finger wouldn't straighten. I avoided fielding practice through the tournament because I was experiencing a lot of pain while catching. I gave fielding practice (to the team) though."
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