Sachin’s found a new role but has he found his form?

The past few days we’ve seen a great player trying to feel his way, inch by torturous inch, back to form. His scores of 12, 5 and 22 against weak attacks point to rustiness that hasn’t been wiped away. There are other signs:

• The searing pace of Sree Santh got him out LBW in the match against India ‘B’. It was similar to the manner in which he’d been out to Balaji and Kumble in the Duleep match at Hyderabad in February, during his previous comeback bid

• Tendulkar loves to dominate bowlers but in Mohali he failed to see off threats from Balaji, VRV Singh, even Bhandari and Sree Santh

• In trying to protect the elbow, he’s fielded either in the slips or third man or deep mid-wicket

• He’s clearly struggling to play on the off-side; and though he’s picked up a few boundaries down leg, they haven’t been with in his exquisite style

• At nets, he’s been asking for rising deliveries on the off-side

• In the final, Tendulkar was looking more like his old self till young leggie Piyush Chawla uprooted his stumps

Chappell believes Tendulkar, with all his experience, has a role to play — especially now that there’s a new captain at the helm. But it would be a pity if the young players — Uthappa, Venugopal, even Laxman — saw their efforts in what is supposed to be a selection series came to nought.