Tendulkar progresses well in fitness

Sachin Tendulkar is one step closer to getting fit. He had a long batting session on Thursday at the Bandra Kurla cricket stadium where Mumbai Indians assembled for nets ahead of their clash against Delhi Daredevils at home on Sunday. Lalchand Rajput, the Mumbai coach, later said Tendulkar, who is recovering from a groin injury, looked good while batting and was hopeful his captain would be back soon. "He looked very good, had a long batting session and looked alright," Rajput said but would not commit if his seniormost player would make his IPL debut. "There are still two days to go before the next match. We will take the final call on May 4 (Sunday) morning. Hopefully he gets better in that time." Mumbai had a dismal start to their campaign after three straight losses but clinched their maiden victory, on Tuesday evening, against Kolkata Knight Riders in a rousing fashion at the Eden Gardens. Dwayne Bravo, who starred in the seven-wicket victory with a handsome contribution of 64 not out, was a proud man today but said he was inspired by Tendulkar, the non-playing captain. Bravo pointed out a fine example when Mumbai were struggling at 25 for 3 chasing the target of 138 set by Kolkata. "In the meeting before the Kolkata match he told everybody that whenever you go in to bat with the back against the wall use it as an opportunity to be a hero," Bravo said. "That stuck in my head. When I walked in Mumbai were 25 for 3, and that small thing Sachin said helped me a lot." According to Bravo, Tendulkar, just by his presence, helps the team-mates gather a lot of confidence. "He always talks about being positive and staying calm and not let the situation get the better of you", Bravo said. Even if Tendulkar has missed all the matches so far, Bravo felt the important thing was he was always sharing his thoughts and opinions in the dressing room. And that proved to be a catalyst in not letting the team atmosphere deteriorate during the difficult times. "Although he has not played a game, yet, he voices his opinion on the team, the individual and issues like batting and bowling," Bravo said. "Mumbai is a young side and his presence gives you a lot of confidence. When he speaks we listen and execute his plan." Bravo - who also grew up in Brian Lara's hometown, Santa Cruz, Trinidad - says even Lara, Bravo's hero, looked up to Tendulkar during his playing days. "I grew up in the same village as Brian Lara. Lara is my hero and even he too looks up to Tendulkar. He always talks about him." According to Bravo, just observing the way the two legends, with whom he has been "fortunate" to share the dressing room with, is itself a big learning lesson. "Both Lara and Tendulkar have a lot of knowledge. You learn so much by just watching how they move around, how they speak and how they treat their cricketing gear, especially the bat."