Tendulkar would return home, Injured Tendulkar out of South Africa ODI series

Parthiv to replace injured Tendulkar in ODI series ( Injured Tendulkar out of South Africa ODI series, Parthiv Patel to replace him )

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has been ruled out of ongoing ODI series against South Africa due to a hamstring injury on Saturday. 

"Tendulkar will not take further part in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa due to a hamstring injury," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) press release, as saying. 

Tendulkar, who equalled Sanath Jayasuriya's record for the most ODI appearances (444), injured himself when batting. He received on-field assistance from the physio and didn't take the field for South Africa's innings.

Team manager Ranjib Biswal confirmed that Tendulkar would return home — the fourth instance of an injured first-choice player leaving South Africa either ahead of or during the limited-over series.

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir withdrew after the Test series while Praveen Kumar returned home after the Twenty20 International. 

The series is currently tied at 1-1, with the third match to be played in Cape Town on January 18.