Tendulkar confident of doing well in SA

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday said he has recovered completely from the toe injury and is confident of doing well on the upcoming tour of South Africa, from September 24.

Speaking at a function, to felicitate 25 winners of a 'Hit-A-Four' contest, in Bombay on Tuesday, Tendulkar said he is feeling fine now and, with the new shoes which have cushion padding to take pressure off his big toe, he is confident of doing well in South Africa.

He said he is grateful to the doctors who treated his toe and hastened his recovery.

As hundreds of fans surrounded him for autographs, he remarked: "It is a great feeling to be surrounded by fans. In a stadium you get to see your fans from 75 yards away, but it is different when you see them from barely two yards as over here."

Tendulkar had injured his toe during the Zimbabwe tour, in the last league match of the triangular one-day series against the West Indies on July 4, and missed the Sri Lanka tour soon after.

Though he said he is feeling fine, he will have to pass the fitness test, to be conducted by team physio Andrew Leipus and sports medicine expert Dr Anant Joshi, at the Wankhede stadium on September 22 and 23.

Mail Cricket Editor