England Diary: Tendulkar Injury Woes Continue

Javed Akhtar, Arab News

Sachin Tendulkar’s injury woes continue. The left tennis elbow suffered by the master batsman ahead of the Videocon Cup in Holland has not fully healed. He failed a fitness test at the Trent Bridge ground in Nottingham on Monday and is now also out of the NatWest Challenge three-match series against England. Manager Gautam Dasgupta told reporters that the team management is not seeking any replacement for Tendulkar. However, Dinesh Mongia who is playing club cricket in England has been asked to remain on standby and his services may be sought if necessary. The Indian team had sickness and injury problems while in Holland. Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had a viral attack. Then medium pacer Ajit Agarkar had a side strain and middle order batsman Mohammed Kaif had a strain in the right shoulder. India face Kenya in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy starting at three venues in England from Sept. 10. But the most important game of their group is against Pakistan on Sept. 19. So Indian team physio Andrew Leipus has almost three weeks to get Tendulkar back into fitness for that crucial clash with Pakistan. Notting Hill Carnival • The Notting Hill carnival in London may be no match to the original in Rio de Janeiro and its samba dancers but nevertheless it is a big draw. What is said to have started in 1964 as a racial protest has become a regular annual event which people look forward to. There is a definite South American-West Indian flavor to it as far as the music goes but the participants presented a rich racial mix on Monday. The carnival lasts for two days — the first day is reserved for kids. Nearby tube stations are closed as revelers in their thousands flock to Notting Hill. The crowd on the first day was reported at 250,000 and on Monday it exceeded 300,000. Residents of the area are inconvenienced by all the noise and milling crowds but some of them also capitalize on the opportunity to make a fast buck. They allow visitors the use of their toilets at one pound per head. Nottingham Made Famous by Robin Hood • Mention Nottingham and the first name that comes to mind is that of mythical character Robin Hood and his merry men. They operated from the nearby Sherwood Forest and robbed the rich to help the poor. At the Acorn Hotel in Nottingham, its manager Alan Wright says about Robin Hood: “Well, he is a mythical character but someone like him did exist a long time ago. We do believe in that. There is a castle nearby where you can see a picture of Robin Hood,” he said.