Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai on Tuesday

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme following a shoulder surgery, has been making satisfactory progress and will start light batting drills this week.

The latest assessment by cricket board’s physio John Gloster has raised hopes that the batsman would be fit in time for the away Test series against the West Indies beginning on June 2. Tendulkar has been ruled out of the one-day series which is set to start on May 18.

“All aspects of the recovery have to this point gone as planned and he (Tendulkar) has adapted well to the implementation of the strength components of his programme,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said in a press release.

“Sachin has been advised further strengthening exercises as well as to implement more functional shoulder activities.

“The original time frames discussed by the surgeon at the time of the operation appears to be still relevant,” the release said.

“Sachin will commence light batting drills within the week,” it added.

Tendulkar underwent the surgery by noted orthopaedic surgeon Dr Andrew Wallace in London in March this year for a troublesome right shoulder.