For once, a net session involving India’s top cricketers presented a different picture. At the Mohali Cricket Stadium, the buzz isn’t about the Indian cricketers but about Sachin Tendulkar. The master batsman from Mumbai is finally back and there isn’t an eye that missed him during the three-hour net session for the Challenger Trophy teams on Sunday afternoon.How much did he move his tennis elbow, for how long did he bat, did he bowl, did he throw the ball with his right hand? Tendulkar’s comeback is all the more interesting as it’s his first interactive stint with coach Greg Chappell involving a tournament. Moreover, Chappell has long known Tendulkar to be the most authoritative individual in the Indian ranks and so a relief of sorts on either of their faces couldn’t be a surprise.Tendulkar batted aggressively for a little more than 15 minutes. He faced Zaheer, Pathan and Agarkar, Harbhajan and Kartik, making a flurry of fluent drives that seldom missed the sweet spot. Thereafter, he bowled for a little longer, fielded and threw the ball from far ends without any evident discomfiture. However, more importantly, Sachin’s presence and the respect he commands would now give him an opportunity to get an insider’s view of the Indian dressing room and set things right, if necessary. ‘‘Sachin has an important role to play. I would like to see him more in the role of a mentor. That is something you will see him do in the next few years,’’ Chappell said of Tendulkar. The coach is not duly worried about Tendulkar regaining form with the bat. Chappell believes it will not be long before Tendulkar can get back in the thick of things. Right now, the coach is busy looking at the bigger picture. He is desperately in need of someone who can help in making Team India understand the importance of a culture change for a better future. When the media gathered around Tendulkar, all that the cricketer said was: ‘‘I’ve spoken a lot. Let me go and play now.’’
