* Tendulkar finds a place in Warne's dream team

World's premier leg spinner Shane Warne, who recently had a successful Ashes campaign, has named Sachin Tendulkar in his dream team. In his just-released autobiography 'Shane Warne', he has named separate Aussie sides for both the versions of the game to take on the World's Best XI, the criterion being the spin-wizard should have played with the Aussies or against the rest of the world in a full international.

Warne is the most successful spinner in Test cricket with more than 400 Test wickets and he has chosen nine players of the Test side of the rest of world in the One-Day squad too. Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis, Moin Khan, Chris Cairns, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq and Curtly Ambrose make the cut.

He explains the recurrence of players thus: "There is a place for limited-overs specialists, but from experience I think that great players are great players whatever the form of the game. People of this quality are good enough to adapt to any situation." While Warne, who once admitted being tormented by Tendulkar in his nightmares, justifies Tendulkar's presence in the Test side quite at length, the reasons for picking the Indian in the One-Day squad is explained tersely in just one sentence!

* Borde welcomes Tendulkar and Kumble fitness news

The Indian selection committee chairman Chandu Borde, has welcomed the news of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble's fitness for the tour of South Africa. Borde is disappointed the youngsters failed to deliver the goods in the recently concluded tour of Sri Lankla.

"The Indian team is bound to benefit from the experience of Tendulkar, Kumble and other seniors who missed the Sri Lanka tour as the youngsters on that tour failed to grab the opportunity given to them," he said.

"It was unfortunate the youngsters got a start but failed to capitalise on them which made the big difference to the ultimate result of the Test series. However, the team showed its fighting qualities to rally in both the triangular and test series. They came back into contention after losing three games in a row to win the next three in the Triangular one-day series but slipped in the final."

"Again in the Test series they levelled 1-1, winning the Kandy Test only to lose the third Test at Colombo," he said.

Borde and his colleagues have a tough task tomorrow as they meet in Mumbai to pick the team for the One-Day triangular series in South Africa. There are a good number of players who are back in the reckoning after been on the injury list for a while.

* Tendulkar confident about his form

World's premier batsman Sachin Tendulkar said he has completely recovered from the toe injury, and added that the lack of match practice would not affect his performance in South Africa. Tendulkar had flown down to South Africa to consult arthroscopic surgeon Dr Mark Fergusson who prescribed the use of special inner soles.

"I have been playing top-class cricket for more than 10 years. I don't think it would affect my performance on the field," Tendulkar said in Mumbai.

He said the new inner soles, which he last week acquired from South Africa had helped him tremendously and there was absolutely no pain on his right big toe.

"The inner soles cushion the injured toe and I feel very comfortable when I run. I think I have totally recovered," said the Indian batting mainstay.

Tendulkar suffered the injury in Zimbabwe during the last league match of a triangular series against the West Indies on July 4.

"In fact, every one contributed for my recovery, especially the people at Adidas. I wanted shoes of different sizes and styles and these people provided everything I needed," Tendulkar said.

"I have started running a bit and the doctors said I can gradually increase the workout sessions. I should be perfectly alright in a couple of weeks," he added.

Asked about the pain in his right toe, Tendulkar said "though I am not running hard and just jogging for the time being, I do not feel any pain.

"Now I will let the muscles get used to the new soles and then gradually start training hard. I don't want to push hard right now.

"Once you are mentally prepared you can overcome any difficulty, especially after playing 273 One-Dayers and 84 Test matches. You can go in the middle and do what you have been doing. However, a couple of practice matches help.

"Anyway it is very important that I think positively and not worry too much over what happed in the past eight weeks.

"I can only say I am happy to play for the country again as I really missed cricket when all my colleagues were playing in Sri Lanka though I was mentally in Sri Lanka as well."

Tendulkar is a certainty in the squad to be chosen for the South African tour on Thursday in Mumbai.

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