Sports India

The master blaster is back but the moot question is where will he be in the pecking order for the Tri Series in Srilanka.

Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit and is set to return to the Indian team for next month’s tri-series to be held in Sri Lanka. With his return, the team management will now have to recalibrate the batting order. So will he come back to his favoured place at the top of the innings? Or will Dravid drop down the order? These are Questions that need to be answered.

Kiran More, Chairman of selectors said: Sachin has been declared fit. We have got a report from John Gloster saying that he is available for selection for the forthcoming series in Sri Lanka and this is surely a good news for India.

These words from the Chairman of selectors clearly indicate the importance of Sachin in the Indian team. Having played the game for close to 17 years, Sachin continues to be the top drawn in the Indian team. But the question is where will Sachin bat on his comeback. Tendulkar has opened the innings in one-day cricket with both Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly. In his absence, that job was taken over by Rahul Dravid and occassionally by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. So will Sachin walk into his old position?

Top world teams have shown that the best way to make your prized asset last is to play them in the middle order and also only in key games. Inzamam Ul Haq does that with great success and so does Brian Lara. Could Tendulkar do the same for Team India? Some of his teammates disagree.

EAS Prasanna, former player, said that India will be competing in one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka and Sachin has been an opening batsman throughout, so I think that he should play as one.

While Sreesanth, Bowler, Indian team said: “Playing as an opening batsman is the easiest form to get some run in the opening stand, and thus, it is much easier to play.”

Whatever the position, Sachin will still have to push himself to stay ahead of the young guns. Coach Greg Chappell is known to have equal yardsticks for fitness and performance for all players. And in spite of having so many runs under his belt, Sachin will invariably walk out under pressure.

Sachin has made a return to the Indian squad arousing a debate as to whether he should don the role of opening batsman or should he play in the miidle order. However, at this juncture, it hardly matters when he bats. His presence on the ground is good enough, not only for the team, but for the nation to celebrate.