The elbow restricted Tendulkar's shotmaking for much of the last season © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar returned to India on Monday morning after undergoing surgery on his troublesome elbow, and admitted that he would need around three months of rehabilitation work to be ready to don international colours again. Tendulkar's injury woes encompassed the early part of last season, with tennis elbow ruling him out of three one-day tournaments, including the ICC Champions Trophy, and the first two Tests against Australia.

He was operated on in London last month, and is almost certain to miss India's first assignment of the new season - a one-day triangular series in Sri Lanka that will also involve West Indies. On his arrival in Mumbai, Tendulkar said, "It [the recovery process] is progressing quite well and I will need 14 to 16 weeks to return to competitive cricket. I have been given a programme [by the doctors] to follow. I will go back to London to consult the doctor again."

While Tendulkar was abroad, India's cricket board took a major step by appointing Greg Chappell as coach to succeed the departing John Wright. According to Press Trust of India, Tendulkar refused to be drawn on the subject. "I need to meet him," was all that he would say when queried about the new appointment.

Interestingly, when Tendulkar was going through a wretched run ahead of the final Test in Sydney in 2003-04, Chappell's was one of the few voices of reason, insisting that it was a question of when, rather than if, he would come good. In his very next innings, Tendulkar walked out and obliterated Steve Waugh's dreams of a triumphant farewell with an innings for the ages - an unbeaten 241.