* Tendulkar and Kumble expect to be back in business

After the disappointment caused by the series loss in Sri Lanka, the Indian fan at last has something to cheer about. It looks like India will go to South Africa with its best team in recent times.

Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath are all expected to be fit and ready for battle. Tendulkar has told his doctor Anant Joshi that he would be going to South Africa if the pain on his right toe was anything near bearable. "At the moment, he is feeling no pain," Joshi told the United News of India.

Meanwhile, Kumble, who has recovered from a shoulder injury which kept him away from action since October, 2000, has already confirmed his availability to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). His Karnataka and Indian teammate Javagal Srinath also expects to recover in time from the wrist injury he sustained in first Test of the recent Lankan tour.

"I should be alright in one and a half weeks," Srinath told the Press Trust of India.

The BCCI also expects to hear from VVS Laxman and Ashish Nehra soon. While Laxman had undergone a knee operation in Australia, Nehra is recovering from a groin injury which kept him out of the Lankan tour. All the players are expected to provide fitness updates to the BCCI before September 7 when the selectors to meet to name the team for South Africa.

India, for sure, will need their best men to take on the mighty South Africans led by Shaun Pollock on their home soil.

* Ganguly gives his reasons

It was a disappointed Indian captain Sourav Ganguly who met newsmen at Chennai's Meenambakam airport after suffering his first series defeat as captain.

"It is disappointing. We could have done better," Ganguly told the Press Trust of India.

"I am not finding ways to give reasons for bad performance. Niggling and frequent injuries to players could be one of the reasons for the non-performance. But they are not the sole reason. We performed only in patches.

"Despite injuries to half a dozen players, we were able to make it to the final of the triangular (one-day) series. In the final Test, Zaheer Khan was injured on the morning of the second day... The only good aspect was that we were able to win a Test match (at Kandy)

"Now we have to look forward to the job in hand (South Africa tour) and take corrective steps to get back to winning ways. International cricket is tough and the South Africa tour is going to be even tougher," the Indian captain said.

Coach John Wright for his part emphasized the importance of having a fitness regimen for current players. "The Sri Lankan players were under a fitness programme for the last five years and above. All of them were cent per cent fit..."

Is the BCCI listening?

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