Sachin Tendulkar begins practice ahead of Ind-NZ series

Bangalore: Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar began preparations for the upcoming New Zealand Test series with a practice session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), on Wednesday. Tendulkar arrived in Bangalore from Mumbai this morning and came to the NCA around 1.30 pm. After a brief chat with the NCA physio, Tendulkar started practice by asking Zaheer Khan, who has been undergoing training here for last few days, to bowl at him. Tendulkar chose to bat on fast-paced pitch. The first Test will begin in Hyderabad on August 23 while the second and final match is scheduled at Bangalore from August 31. The two teams will also play two Twenty20 match after the Test series. The first T20 is slated for September 8 in Visakhapatnam while the second will be played in Chennai on September 11. PTI