Emphasising the importance of a break from cricket, Gloster had said in his report: “Tendulkar must not allow this condition to settle into a chronic phase, otherwise it may take a further two weeks to control. It is only when the pain settles that he can start deep-release massage. Once he is pain-free, he can commence basic training but initially only in water.”

When Tendulkar was questioned about his fitness at the launch of Indian Premier League (IPL’s) Mumbai Indians on March 8, he had said: “I am completely fit and am looking forward to the series against South Africa and after that the IPL.”

Incidentally, Tendulkar wasn’t called for the fitness test at National Cricket Academy in Bangalore before the selection for the squad for the Chennai Test. BCCI asked Ishant Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Anil Kumble to prove their fitness at the NCA. And it was only after a report was submitted by the new support staff members of Team India — trainer Paul Chapman and physio Paul Close — that they were included in the Test squad.

Tendulkar went on to play the opening Test of the series, at the end of which BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said on Sunday that the batsman had “re-aggravated his right groin injury while fielding on the fourth day”. Tendulkar was replaced by Mohammad Kaif for the next Test starting on Thursday.