It’s a matter of playing through the pain barrier: Brett Lee
BRISBANE: Written off a fortnight ago due to a broken toe, express bowler Brett Lee now insists he will play through the pain barrier as he approaches Glenn McGrath’s record as Australia’s top one-day wicket-taker. The toe injury had ruled him out for almost two months, but Lee surprised everyone by making a stunning comeback, which included figures of three for 49 in the tri-series match against Australia at the Gabba here yesterday. And the 35-year-old pacer, who clocked nearly 150kph during his hostile spell at the Gabba, is in no mood to rest his toe. With 361 wickets to his name, Lee is now just 19 behind former new-ball partner McGrath. “I’m not keen to rest, period. I’ve had enough rest in my life (due to injuries) and I’ll rest when I finally hang the boots up. “I think that with my toe, it’s very painful but you find a way to play through it and I think I’m past the worst of it. It’s going to get better as each game goes on,” Lee was quoted as saying by ‘Australian Associated Press’. Lee’s initial prognosis after being struck on the right foot from a full-blooded straight drive in a Twenty20 international had ruled him out for six-eight weeks.
Tendulkar to go for precautionary MRI scan after being hit on head
BRISBANE: Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar is likely to go for a precautionary MRI scan today after he was hit on his head by a sharply lifting delivery from Brett Lee while batting in the tri-series match against Australia here. Tendulkar seemed to have misread the pace and lift of the final delivery of Lee’s second over, which hit the grill of his helmet and bounced off to mid-on where Xavier Doherty took the “catch”. Every Australian fielder went up in appeal, thinking they had their man, but umpire Steve Davis was convinced it hadn’t touched Tendulkar’s bat before striking his helmet at the Gabba yesterday. Apparently, some sort of blow from that delivery had also deflected on to Tendulkar’s forehead, above his right eye. The batsman continued with his innings, which ended off the very next delivery he faced, in Ben Hilfenhaus’ next over from the other end. After his dismissal, Tendulkar was given ice treatment on the swelling in the dressing room, and even though he’s shown no discomfort, a precautionary MRI scan has been advised for him. It capped a miserable day for the champion Indian batsman who was hit on his shin off an edged stroke from Peter Forrest in the slips in the 25th over of Australian innings and while batting, he made an unconvincing three off 12 balls as the visitors lost the match by a whopping 110 runs at the Gabba.
Dhoni’s rotational policy may be indicative of dissensions
BRISBANE: Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s public dig at senior players like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag has evoked sharp reactions and is seen as an indication of smouldering dissensions within the team. After yet another bad day on the field which resulted in a crushing 110-run defeat for his team at the hands of Australia yesterday, Dhoni defended the policy of rotating senior players like Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Dhoni’s argument was that senior players were not bad fielders but on big Australian grounds they were “slightly on the slower side”. This would mean an extra 20 runs to the opposition. Tendulkar may be 39 but is a good fielder in the slips and has an excellent throw from anywhere in the field while Gambhir, who at 30 is of the same age as his captain, fields close-in in Test matches and has a safe pair of hands anywhere.