Chennai: Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of the second against South Africa at Ahmedabad due to a groin injury.
He will be replaced by Mohammad Kaif who has been among the runs this domestic season.
Chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar said that Kaif has been drafted in the squad of 15. "It's too early to say that he will be part of the Playing XI at Ahmedabad," he said.
Vengsarkar didn’t give away much but made known that the selection committee had discussed all the names that have been pressing their claims for a recall to the Test side.
"We had a telephone conversation with Anil Kumble. We thought that Kaif deserved a look-in since he has been in good touch of late."
Tendulkar didn’t take the field on the final day of the first Test match at Chennai that ended in a draw.
Kumble, too, missed two sessions on the fifth day.
Kumble is reported to have said that he didn’t want to aggravate "a slight strain on his groin."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has said in a press release that the Indian team's physiotherapist Paul Close is confident that Kumble will be fit to play at Ahmedabad although a final decision will be taken a day before the Test.
Kaif played his last Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park in 2006. He had fallen out of favour with the selectors following a dismal run in the One-Day series against South Africa before the 2007 World Cup.
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