Tendulkar, Agarkar go Down Under

MUMBAI/CHENNAI, SEPT 11: Sachin Tendulkar's much-troubled back will now go under the scrutiny of medical experts in Australia. Tendulkar ...

MUMBAI/CHENNAI, SEPT 11: Sachin Tendulkar8217;s much-troubled back will now go under the scrutiny of medical experts in Australia. Tendulkar left Mumbai by a morning flight, accompanied by Ajit Agarkar and Dr Anant Joshi.

Agarkar is going to see specialists for the hamstring injury, which saw him pull-out at the eleventh hour from the twin tours of Sri Lanka and Singapore.Dr Joshi, a noted sports medicine expert and orthopaedic surgeon from Mumbai, is accompanying the two cricketers as he has been treating the duo for various injuries during their careers, including their present afflictions.

A source close to Tendulkar told The Indian Express that the cricketers will be seeing specialists connected with the Australian Cricket Academy. 8220;Among the various tests will be video shoots and analysis of Sachin to ascertain the kind of strokes that triggers the pain,8221; added the source who did not want to be named.

The trip is made possible by the Chennai-based MRF. Confirming this, a spokesman for MRF 8212; one ofthe products that Tendulkar endorses 8212; said KM Mammen, the company8217;s vice-chairman and managing director, suggested to the Indian skipper to seek medical advice from doctors in Australia when the injury caused a fresh scare on the eve of the Indian team8217;s departure for the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

Mammen8217;s suggestions came after talking with Dennis Lillee. The legendary Australian paceman, who himself overcame a career-threatening back injury to become one of the most potent forces in international cricket, felt his country has some of the best doctors for rehabilitation of back and trunk injuries.

Tendulkar would be put on rehabilitation at the South Australian Sports Medicine Centre. Dr Peter Barnes, an orthopaedician and a specialist for injuries sustained by sportspersons, would treat Tendulkar after subjecting him to video analysis and tests.

Dr Barnes is reputed for treating injuries like back spasms suffered by Tendulkar. He has been, for few years, the head of the panel of doctors for theAustralian Rules Football Commission, a game physically more exacting than rugby.

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Tendulkar would remain in Adelaide where doctors from Canberra will arrive to treat him. Australia8217;s top physio Max Pspizner, who treated Shane Warne after his shoulder surgery late last year, would be present with Dr Barnes.The MRF Pace Foundation has an understanding with the Australian Cricket Academy ACA and does exhaustive studies on injuries and rehabilitation programme for fast bowlers. Incidentally, MRF had earlier sent Indian fast bowlers Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad to the same centre for treatments.

Tendulkar has already sought modern and alternative medical advice for the problematic back, which has thrown a spanner in his career. He first sought the advice of a UK-based specialist Dr Ken Kennedy in March. Since then, his back has come under the scrutiny of Dr Bhojraj, a spine surgeon at Mumbai8217;s Hinduja Hospital, Dr Greg Hoy, who operated Shane Warne8217;s finger, Dr Po, an acupuncture specialist fromSingapore and yoga expert, BKS Iyengar at Pune.But the pains keeps coming at irregular intervals to cause much anxiety to Tendulkar and millions of Indians.