Sachin Tendulkar rejoined Team India's practice session for a few hits on the second day of the cricket conditioning camp, ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

"He continues to get ice treatment. Physio John Gloster says he is improving," the Indian team's administrative manager, Surendra Bhave, said.

Tendulkar, who skipped the morning session, wielded the willow for about 15 minutes at the indoor gymnasium adjacent to the Eden Gardens in the afternoon. The team spent an hour at the indoor facility, where practice was temporarily shifted to due to unseasonal rain. Later, when the team resumed practice outdoors at the Eden Gardens, Tendulkar was present throughout the session though he did not take part in it. However, it appeared he was in no discomfort while walking. "You saw he was walking freely. He doesn't have much of a swelling. The pain is also not there," said Bhave.

Tendulkar sprained his right ankle on Wednesday, the opening day of the camp, when he ducked awkwardly to a bouncer from pacer S Sreesanth and lost his balance. He limped back to the dressing room without taking further part in the practice session.

Meanwhile, the players had an intense fielding and fitness session in the morning. There was hardly a moment of respite for them as the newly-appointed coaching staff, led by cricket manager Ravi Shastri, put them through a 100-minute drill.

Sachin Tendulkar, who is nursing an ankle injury, skipped the morning practice session on the second day of the Indian cricket team's conditioning camp, ahead of the Bangladesh tour, in Kolkata, on Thursday.

"Team physio John Gloster is attending to Sachin. If everything goes well, Sachin could possibly do some knocking in the afternoon session," team's administrative manager Surendra Bhave said.

Tendulkar sprained his right ankle on Wednesday, the opening day of the camp, when he ducked awkwardly to a bouncer from S Sreesanth and lost balance. He limped to the dressing room and did not take any further part in the practice session. He was given ice treatment throughout the night and this morning, and stayed put in the team hotel.

URL: http://cricketflavor.blogspot.com/2007/05/tendulkar-skips-practice-session.html

National Cricket Academy chairman Kapil Dev has advised Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly to utilise their "rest" period from the Indian team by sharing their experience with budding talent. Kapil said he would request the BCCI to allow the players to work with the Under-17 cricketers at the ongoing 45-day training camp at the KSCA in Bangalore.

"This will certainly help players like Sachin and Sourav to have continuous practice and keep themselves fit. We will be sending a request to the BCCI in this regard and if the Board considers our request favourably it will help the young boys," he said.

URL: http://cricketflavor.blogspot.com/2007/05/kapil-wants-tendulkar-ganguly-at-nca.html

Disagreeing with BCCI's explanation that Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have been rested for next month's Bangladesh tour, cricketing great Kapil Dev on Monday said that it was clear to him that the duo have been dropped.

"Rules cannot be different for different cricketers. There are no half measures for me... either you drop them or take them. There is nothing called rested," Kapil, India's only World Cup winning captain, told reporters in Kolkata.

"They have not played so much cricket for the last six months that they have to be rested. They have been dropped", said Kapil, who is here on a coaching assignment for the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

On the upcoming Bangladesh series, Kapil said that the Indian players need a good series to regain confidence after their poor performance in the World Cup in the West Indies.

"The side is not that much confident at the moment after the World Cup. They need a good series. At the same time they should also ensure that there are no further goof-ups." Kapil, who is also chairman of the NCA, said.

Kapil, who inspected the gymnasium and other practice facilities at the Eden Gardens here, expressed satisfaction with the arrangement made for youngsters at the NCA.

"During our playing days, we did not have access to such facilities. These are the best possible facilities," he said.

"During our time we had nothing to do during the off-season. Now with such facilities in place, players can practice round the year", he said.

The former all-rounder did not agree that there was a dearth of talents coming up.

Kapil, who would be giving tips to the NCA trainees later in the day, said it would be his job to get the best out of the players and help out those who had the potential to turn out for India.

URL: http://cricketflavor.blogspot.com/2007/04/sachin-sourav-have-been-dropped-kapil.html