Tendulkar unsure over fitness

Sachin Tendulkar, who is recovering from an elbow injury, says he does not know if he will be fit for next month's Test series against Zimbabwe. "I can't say for sure whether I will be able to play against Zimbabwe but am recovering well and hope to take the field soon."

India will start a month-long tour of Zimbabwe next week during which they will play a tri-series also featuring New Zealand, to be followed by two Tests against Zimbabwe from September 13. Tendulkar has not been picked for the ODIs because of the injury but has been named in a 15-member Test squad subject to fitness.

"I have started practising a little and the next step is to increase the load," said Tendulkar. "A long-term plan is more important so I will not be worried if it takes a couple of weeks more." Tendulkar underwent surgery in London in May after being troubled by 'tennis elbow' over the past year, forcing him to miss several one-dayers and two home Tests against Australia.

Tendulkar is the fourth-highest scorer in Test cricket with 10,134 runs in 123 matches and has the highest aggregate in one-dayers with 13,642 runs in 348 matches, including a record 38 centuries. He is also on the verge of overtaking Sunil Gavaskar's record of Test centuries with both players having 34 tons against their names.