He had one long look at the wicket, quickly settled into a batting stance and played an imaginary straight punch along the ground. The last time he was here, India had a great run with the bat —and Sachin Tendulkar made the maximum contribution with a double hundred.

This time too, there’s no reason why he can’t do that again. His form in the first Test was good and he’s looked in great nick—it’s only the question of that little rash on his face, the result of a sun allergy he picked up during the last day of the Melbourne Test.

Advised not to expose himself to the sun for long periods, Tendulkar was wearing an uncharacteristically large white hat today, and was quick to get back into the dressing room after assessing the wicket. He didn’t train with his teammates, watching them go through the paces before hitting the indoor nets for a long session against the bowling machine. In fact, he didn’t even let photographers move in for a close-up shot.

Apparently, Tendulkar flew over here one day ahead of the rest to consult a skin specialist and ensure that nothing keeps him out of the second Test. “It’s just a little rash on my face, nothing to worry,” said Tendulkar.

According to team manager Chetan Chauhan, “Tendulkar has consulted a skin specialist here and has taken some prescribed medicine. However, there’s no danger of him not playing the match. Tendulkar will play, he wants to be out there and score runs. He’s got a tremendous record here.”