Rahul Dravid today reiterated that Sachin Tendulkar’s injury was not serious and he has been given a rest as a precautionary measure. “He’s got stiffness in the back and it’s no major concern for us. However, keeping in mind the amount of cricket that is to be played in the near future, the most prudent thing to do was to give him a rest,” he said.

Chairman of selectors Dilip Vengsarkar also emphasised that there is no concern over whether Sachin will be available for the World Cup or not. “Sachin is a key player and we don’t want to take any chances with him. He was experiencing some stiffness in the back and since he’s played consistently in the past few months, even in the Ranji Trophy final, we decided to give him a rest,” he said.

Dravid, however, admitted that lack of fitness has been a cause for concern for the team in the past few weeks and there have been doubts, though “touchwood, they have been all short-term injuries. Yuvraj was a real concern, but thankfully he has come out well. His knee is good, and he’s fit. On a slow wicket he was timing the ball very well and if his batting comes through, it will be terrific for the team.”

Dravid also suggested that Pathan, who has been out for a while with a sore shoulder, is regaining full fitness. “He has bowled at full tilt during practice and is slowly getting there and the team back-up staff has been closely monitoring his case,” said Dravid, while admitting that no team in today’s cricket can be absolutely injury-free and a few niggles always remain here and there.