September 21, 2008	Sunday	Ramazan 20, 1429

NEW DELHI, Sept 20: India’s leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar who pulled out of the Irani Trophy as a precaution to give his injured elbow one week’s rest on Thursday, will be available for the four-match Test series against Australia starting on Oct 9.

There has been some speculation about Tendulkar’s availability for the first Test against Australia in Bangalore after his withdrawal from Irani match, but secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Niranjan Shah made it clear that the batting maestro will be available for the Test series.

“Sachin will not be playing in the Irani Trophy on the advice of the physiotherapist of the Indian team so that he could give another week’s rest. But he will be available for the Australia series,” Shah said.

Tendulkar injured his left elbow during the third Test in Sri Lanka and did not play in the One-day series in the island nation. The 35-year-old also had undergone surgery for tennis elbow in 2005.

The Australians may be a bit less powerful force after the retirements by some of their star players but former India skipper Kapil Dev cautioned Anil Kumble’s men against taking the world champions lightly in the upcoming four-match Test series.

“Let them (Australians) land and play here. Only their former players like Adam Gilchrist branded them as inexperienced. That may be their ploy to remain underdogs. The Australians are fighters and they would not concede anything easily. The series is going to be a hard fought one,” said skipper of the 1983 World Cup-winning team.

Kapil sympathised with the players who were banned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for joining the ‘rebel’ Indian Cricket League (ICL).

“Any player in the world has the right to play any where. Stopping him from that is a crime and is unjustified,” Kapil expressed.

He accused the BCCI of trying to monopolise cricket and felt it was wrong to brand any one joining the ICL as a rebel.

“The IPL and ICL are good for Indian cricket. Both are giving chance to many of those who don’t get many opportunities,” he stated.—Agencies