Daily News & Analysis
       
MUMBAI, Feb 17: A sore back usually spells bad news. For the Indian team, it means the absence of an in-form Sachin Tendulkar during the series decider against Sri Lanka today.

The twinge can be great news too. Ask little Arjun. For him, it meant his father was present at the Mumbai School Sports Association ground at Azad Maidan to watch him make his competitive debut.

Tendulkar, wearing his English Premier League affiliation on his sleeve (a Manchester United T-shirt), and wife Anjali were the celebrity cheerleaders as Dhirubhai Ambani, skippered by the seven-year-old, took on New Activity in the under-8 MSSA tournament.

The Ambani school eventually lost the match 1-2, but there was no doubting who the crowds were supporting. Tendulkar was a quiet spectator throughout the game but Anjali was less inhibited in cheering her son and his team along with the other parents.

Arjun was all over the field. Whenever he touched the ball, the cheers got louder. “It has been just a few days since he wore his football boots. He will learn,” coach S Singh said.

“It is just the beginning,” agreed Tendulkar as he obliged all autograph and photograph seekers. “He plays many games and football is one of them.”

During the break, he played motivator to the team, saying: “So you are down one goal. It does not matter; you have another 45 minutes to go.” A youngster piped up: “Sir, it is not 45 but 20 minutes.” “I am sorry,” was Tendulkar’s quick reply.

“It is bad luck,” Arjun said. “But I love football. We will be back on Monday and win the other matches.”

Like his father, Arjun was wearing the No 10 jersey. Unlike his dad, though, his loyalties lie with Chelsea.

Meanwhile, another ex-cricketer’s son made his football debut on Thursday. Siddharth Manjrekar represents Bombay Scottish. His father Sanjay told DNA: “He is good and is inclined towards the sport. This game is more appealing and kids at this age pick up this game very quickly. “