Tendulkar unlikely to play in second Test too

"It's unlikely that Sachin will be able to play at Chepauk. I think he has still not recovered," a selector said.

An already bruised India might have to go into yet another Test against world champions Australia without their most successful batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

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Tendulkar, who missed the first Test which India lost heavily in Bangalore on Sunday, was also virtually ruled out of the second Test beginning in Chennai on Thursday with one of the national selectors hinting on Monday that he had not recovered sufficiently.

"It is extremely unlikely that Tendulkar will be able to play at Chepauk. I think he has still not recovered from the injury," he said.

The batting maestro has been out of action since mid-August due to tennis elbow in his left hand and there is speculation that he might not be able to play at all in the remainder of the four-Test series.

The speculation is mainly based on the fact that Tendulkar has not had a full batting session in the nets so far. He was initially allowed to bat for 10 minutes or so by the doctors and he now has just two days in hand before the first ball is bowled in the second Test.

Tendulkar has been undergoing a rehabilitation programme under team physio Andrew Leipus to strengthen his muscles in the left hand.