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Elbowed out: No go for Sachin
It's very unlikely that Tendulkar will play, but when the team is desperate that their main inspiration gets somehow fit, it is difficult to ascertain the truth, reports Pradeep Magazine.
It is not often that one man's every movement on a cricket ground is scrutinised with so much care and attention to detail, especially when the player in question is unlikely to play the match. But if you happen to be a Sachin Tendulkar, then this is probably inevitable.
On a warm but not-so-muggy-by-Chennai-standards Tuesday, the whole afternoon was spent in trying to discover whether Tendulkar would be fit for the second Test. Hordes of mediapersons, fans and even the Aussies were keen to know whether he would play or not.
Anyone with even an elementary knowledge of the sport would have easily come to the conclusion that Tendulkar won't play. How can a player who has not lifted a bat for more than a few minutes for the past few months and not spent hours in the nets be rightaway pushed into a match --- even if he wakes up on the morning of the Test and miraculously finds his pain has vanished?
It's very unlikely that Tendulkar will play, but when you are flooded with all sorts of confusing statements and the team is desperate that their main inspiration gets somehow fit, it is difficult to ascertain the truth. By evening, it was clear that he was not fit and an official statement to that effect was due to be released. Indian cricket is run like a chaotic circus and in the absence of any official communicator, whoever manages to procure that official release deserves a medal.
