CHESTER-LE : STREET, England: Sachin Tendulkar's agonising wait to score a
100th international century has been prolonged further with the batting
great missing the first of the five one-day internationals against
England on Saturday because of a foot injury. India captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he would lead out the same team that lost the
one-off Twenty20 match against England by six wickets at Old Trafford on
Wednesday. Tendulkar's absence allows fellow Mumbai player
Ajinkya Rahane make his one-day international debut and the 23-year-old
opener will be called into action immediately after England captain
Alastair Cook won the toss and opted to field first. Tendulkar,
the game's highest run-getter with 51 test and 48 one-day centuries,
needs just one more triple figure score to become the first cricketer to
record 100 international tons. Stuck on 99 since scoring a
century against South Africa in the World Cup in March, the 38-year-old
batsman is reported to be suffering from a swollen toe and was expected
to consult a surgeon soon. India surrendered their world
number one test status to England following a 4-0 whitewash in that
series, a setback attributed both to their poor performances and a spate
of injuries to key players.
