Indian news round-up

India's master batsman Sachin Tendulkar suffered a foot injury during the final of the tri-nation series against the West Indies on Saturday when his right foot spiked his left foot while fielding, forcing him to withdraw from the first part of the coming Sri Lankan tour.

"Though an X-ray has ruled out any fracture, the injury is extremely painful and the foot has to be rested for at least two to three weeks as there is an aggravation of muscles", BCCI sources said in Mumbai on Tuesday. His right foot, with spikes, landed between toe and heel of the left foot, resulting in a sesamoid bruise, sources added.

However, the BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele or any of the selectors who met here yesterday to finalise the team for Sri Lankan tour were not able to describe the nature of injury to Tendulkar's foot but announced that the Mumbai star would be joining the team for the last league tie against New Zealand on August 2.

Vital tips by former Australian wicketkeepers Rodney Marsh and Ian Healy helped the Indian wicketkeeper Sameer Dighe perform well on the recently concluded tour of Zimbabwe. A beaming Dighe told PTI in Mumbai on Tuesday that Marsh had passed on a few tips to him during the conditioning camp in Bangalore which helped a lot.

"Healy spent some time with me during the Harare Test match. I was delighted when he wanted to help me out," he said. "Healy, who was in Harare to participate in the benefit tie for former Zimbabwe Test star Eddo Brandes, is a remarkable man and can spot any flaws by just watching others behind the stumps. I soaked in all the knowledge when he gave some important tips in the lobby of our hotel," Dighe said.

"In fact, I was really touched when Healy told me that I can call him up for help even if it is two in the morning and the most important tip he gave was to move with the ball. He also told me to maintain a diary and note down the good and bad things every day," Dighe added.

When asked about his unbeaten 94 in the tri-series final against the West Indies on Saturday, the Mumbai player said, "I used Sachin's (Tendulkar) bat which was much heavier than the one I normally use. In fact, it was Sachin who advised me to do so as I would get more power in my strokes. However, I feel very sad that we fell short by 16 runs," Dighe said.

A Nainital court has extended judicial remand of the former Indian cricketer Manoj Prabhakar till July 21 in the chit fund case, a senior police official said on Tuesday. Judicial Magistrate Devraj Prasad Singh had extended the remand of Prabhakar on a petition moved by the Uttaranchal police, DIG (Nainital) Vijay Raghav Pant said.

Meanwhile, the condition of Prabhakar, admitted to a private nursing home on July 3 following suspected brain stroke, was stated to be stable, doctors attending on him said. Prabhakar was arrested by Uttaranchal police from his south Delhi office on July 2 following a non-bailable arrest warrant issued by the Haldwani Judicial Magistrate in connection with a chit fund company APACE Investment Ltd case on May 11.

Police had alleged that Prabhakar, as director of the company, had defrauded and cheated people while accepting deposits from them.