His shoulder is fine and he is ready for action. Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit for international cricket and is almost certain to play in the ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka from August 14.
On Tuesday, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said, "The report we've got from our physiotherapist John Gloster is that Sachin is fit to play. He's available for selection again." The team will be announced on Thursday.
Tendulkar's return (after a four-month break) could not have come at a better time. India were humiliated in the ODI series in the West Indies and need to do well in Sri Lanka to regain their position as a top team.
It will not be the first time the 33-year-old is returning after an injury. He has fought back and ankle problems, and a tennis elbow before. Each time he came back, he remained the enthusiastic cricketer he has been for the past 17 years.
Though Tendulkar and injuries go back a long way, he admits the shoulder bug was his toughest physical challenge.
{{/usCountry}}Though Tendulkar and injuries go back a long way, he admits the shoulder bug was his toughest physical challenge.
{{/usCountry}}"The shoulder injury was the biggest of all I've had," the owner of 35 Test and 39 ODI centuries said last week. "It has taken me a long time to fix it and get back into action."
On the comeback route, to assess his recovery and form, Tendulkar recently played a few matches for English club Lashings. A couple of centuries there helped him regain his touch - and, hopefully, his confidence too.