Tendulkar very unlikely to play: Wright

Sachin Tendulkar is likely to also miss the second cricket Test against Australia, beginning in Chennai on Thursday.

India's coach John Wright said the batting maestro has not recovered fully from his elbow injury, and "it's very, very unlikely that he will be able to play".

Tendulkar also did not play in the first Test, which India lost by 217 runs.

Earlier, on Tuesday, speaking to ESPN-Star Sports, Tendulkar said he may play in the Chennai Test.

"It is very, very frustrating to wait on the sidelines. I am tired of waiting. It's 50:50 for me now and I honestly do not mind taking a chance at Chennai and playing the game. However, it all depends on how the muscles cope and how much of pain I can take," he said.

Wright said team physio Andrew Leipus will issue a statement later on Tuesday evening.

Tendulkar, who bowled in the nets but did not bat as the team worked out at the Chepauk on Tuesday, has been out of action since the Asia Cup final in August because nagging pain in his elbow.

Wright said Tendulkar's injury is being assessed daily and he is hopeful of him recovering by the time the third Test begins in Nagpur on October 26.

"Sachin hasn't got to the stage where he can go have a net and tell us he is okay. It is very frustrating for the team but we can't do anything about it. The recuperation has been slower than expected. If Sachin feels like having a bat, we would play him the next day," said Wright.

Talking about the Chepauk wicket, Wright felt it is similar to the one the first Test was played on.

"The Chennai wicket looks like a good batting track. The main difference between this wicket and the one in Bangalore will be the bounce."

He said changes in the batting order are possible and they will definitely be discussed, but it will be up to skipper Sourav Ganguly to reveal them.

One down in the series with three Tests to go, Wright realizes that if India is looking to win the series the second Test is crucial.

"We definitely need to bat a lot better. The bottom five made more runs than the top order in both the innings of the first Test. That will definitely not do. As long as we put runs on the board we will be in a good position in the Test. We have to, at some point in the series, make a stand. This Test is crucial for the series.

"We need the players to make a statement. The boys understand that and they are giving it their best. In the last series, V V S Laxman and Rahul Dravid did it at Kolkata; we need someone to do that again," he added.

The Aussies have also talked a lot about the sledging that Harbhajan Singh subjects them to on the field.

"Marto [Matthew Hayden] said at one stage he was just screaming abuse," Glenn McGrath told an Australian newspaper. "You don't mind getting sledged, but he seems to be going non-stop all day. Whether that's the way he works at his best . . . he seems to get himself fired up."

Wright feels Harbhajan's banter is okay as long it stays on the field of play.

"A lot has been said on the field but that's where it remains. The Aussies play tough cricket but I have no problems with that. They play cricket it the right spirit. I like my boys also to display their passion," he declared.