MUMBAI, Feb 19: India's Sachin Tendulkar will return from a long-term elbow injury in a domestic four-day match starting on Tuesday, improving his chances of playing in the home series against Pakistan starting next month.

The 31-year-old Tendulkar was sidelined for three months last year with tennis elbow and only returned to action in October. He has not played competitive cricket since the end of the tour in Bangladesh in December.

The batsman said last month that he had been advised to rest for six weeks and was unsure if he would be ready for Pakistan. "Sachin will definitely play the Duleep Trophy match in Hyderabad. He will also captain the West Zone side against South Zone," India's chief selector Kiran More said on Saturday.

"I've spoken to him, he's feeling fine." Tendulkar has suffered from a series of injuries over the last two years in his back, toe, finger, ankle and elbow. His problems has been attributed mainly to wear and tear caused by non-stop cricket since he emerged on the international scene in 1989 as a 16-year-old.

Pakistan will play three tests and six one-day internationals on their first full tour of India in over six year due to political tensions between the neighbours. They were scheduled to arrive on Feb 25 but the tour may be delayed by a few days because the match dates have yet to be decided. -Reuters