Sachin Tendulkar ruled out of ODI series

India has been deal their biggest blow in an injury-ridden tour of England when Sachin Tendulkar was lined out of the ODI series.

Tendulkar, who continue to chase an elusive 100th international century, miss the opener at Chester-le-Street on Saturday and the Indian camp announce today their star man is facing up to four weeks on the sidelines.

No substitute will be called up to an India squad which has been beset with health concern in recent weeks.


Rohit Sharma was also ruled out yesterday after suffering a cracked finger in the match at the weekend, which was rained off. Manoj Tiwary has been called up to take his place.

Tendulkar will become the eighth player to fly home from India's difficult tour, following Sharma, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh.

India will be hoping that Tiwary will be ready in time to join the team for tomorrow's second match at the Rose Bowl, with their batting stocks diminish further following the news on Tendulkar.

The Little Master has scored a record 18,111 ODI runs at an average of 45.16.

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Stewart: Clean sweep up on the cards

Alec Stewart won't be astonished if the home team records a clean sweep over India in the ongoing ODI series.

"India may have begin the series as slight favorites but I wouldn't be astonished if England finish off the season with a clean sweep in all forms of the game and add this award to the growing collection," Stewart said.

In the first ODI of the five-match series last weekend, India were in the driver’s seat with England, chasing a competitive 275-run target, were totter at 27 for two before heavy showers required the match to be called off.

But Stewart was of the view that the weather conditions intervene far too early during England's innings for serious talk about the hosts being 'saved by the rain'.

"This England side has it in them to go up again after such early reverse," he said.

"After the 4-0 thrashing of India in the Test series followed by the one-off T20 victory last week, England will want to show they are also making good development in the 50-over game which for so long has be their Achilles heel," the former wicket-keeper added.

Stewart, however, has no misgivings that to record a clean sweep, England will have to play out of their skin against the the world champion Indian side.

"As England march on towards world cricket preeminence they will be severely tested by India, the current World Cup holders, all through these One Day Internationals," he wrote in his column for 'Daily Mirror'.

He insisted that having never won the World Cup, England will be desperate to break the jinx in the 2015 edition of the tournament to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

"Captain Alastair Cook is fully aware that if these groups of players want to be bracketed alongside the truly great West Indian and Australian teams of recent times then they must become more reliable in ODIs and learn what it takes to win in all conditions," Stewart said.

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Pakistan cover up believable win

Pakistan finished a routine seven-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their one-off Test in Bulawayo after bowling the hosts out cheaply.

Zimbabwe resume on 135 for eight and additional just six, with Aizaz Cheema removing Tatenda Taibu for his all night 58 and Christopher Mpofu for a duck to maintain figures of four for 24. Kyle Jarvis remain on 25 not out.

That left Pakistan to pursue just 88 for victory and first-innings centurion Mohammad Hafeez and opening partner Taufeeq Umar made a racing start with boundaries in each of the first two overs.

Hafeez slog-swept Ray Price for six but Umar made just eight before edging Jarvis to keeper Taibu.

Hafeez continuous to take the attack to Price with two boundaries in the 10th over, and added two more in the next, from Brian Vitori. But, after loft Price to the ropes once more, he was bowled off his pad for 38 attempts one more sweep at the veteran spinner.

Azhar Ali and Younus Khan looked set to see their side over the line awaiting the former fell for 22 to a juggle catch by Greg Lamb off Price.

That left Younus (14no) and Misbah-ul-Haq (6no) to typically do it in singles, at least until the latter loft Price over long-off for the winning boundary.

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