Indian coach Anshuman Gaekwad met the press today at the team's camp at MA Chidambaram Stadium and for a change, there was a serious, specific issue to discuss.

While doing some routine training exercises yesterday, Tendulkar felt a sudden stiffness in his back. The pain was noticed while running, and he was advised immediate rest by Gaekwad. Several medical tests including CAT scans and MRIs were conducted yesterday. The results of these tests will be known later this evening.

When asked whether the injury was sustained due to less than adequate training during the off-season, Gaekwad said that Tendulkar had been training regularly and was in very good shape fitness-wise. He added that Tendulkar was playing badminton regularly, and had lost some weight recently. When asked about a possible replacement for Tendulkar, Gaekwad said that it was not being considered at this juncture. He said that such decisions would be made by the selectors after the resuts of the medical tests were known.

Gaekwad also added that the injury was not caused by the conditions in Chennai. He said that the conditions for training were excellent here. It might be recalled that Tendulkar suffered a similar problem earlier this year while playing the Test against Pakistan at Chennai. Gaekwad acknowledged the need for a full-time physio as replacement for Andrew Kokinos, in addition to the team doctor, Dr. Chadha. He did not elaborate on what Dr. Chadha's assessment of the injury was.