No hard feelings for Tendulkar from Dhoni and Strauss after Lord's failure

While the Indian captain Dhoni blames illness for Tendulkar's low scores, his counterpart will not question his slow approach.

LONDON // Sachin Tendulkar came a cropper when the situation demanded a big innings from him at Lord's, where he has failed to get a half-century as India failed to save the first Test against England.

'The Little Master', whose 51 Test centuries and 48 in one-day internationals are both world records, had spent much of the past month practising at the 'home of cricket'.

However, he had a viral infection during the Test, something that Dhoni blamed for Tendulkar's low scores of 34 and 12 in both innings respectively.

"He was much better (Monday) but I wouldn't say he was like 100 percent fit," Dhoni said. "But in both innings he really felt it, especially after the first innings when he felt quite weak.

"That was one of the main reasons he didn't turn up on the field in the first half of the second innings. He's much better right now but of course not 100 per cent."

He struggled especially in the second innings with just one four in 85 minutes at the crease with Strauss dropping his catch when he was on 12. James Anderson was the bowler and he was not to be denied when, two balls later, he had the 38 year old trapped leg before.

"You never want to drop Sachin, put it that way," said Strauss. "Thankfully Jimmy Anderson spared my blushes.

"I am never going to question the way he approaches his innings. He was obviously trying to salvage a draw out of the game for India.

"He tried his hardest to do that and thankfully Jimmy was good enough to get him out lbw."

Tendulkar's exit left him with a modest record at the ground of 195 runs in nine innings, spanning five Tests, at an average of 21.66 with a best of 37 made four years ago.

The second Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham starts on Friday.