VISHAKHAPATNAM, India (AP):

INDIA'S ACE batsman Sachin Tendulkar was yesterday ruled out of the fourth and final limited-overs international against Sri Lanka after complaining of a stiff back.

Indian cricket board's secretary, Niranjan Shah, said the team management has decided to rest Tendulkar from tonight's (Ja time) match in the southern coastal city of Vishakhapatnam due to his stiff back.

The indisposed Tendulkar is the latest in India's injury problems ahead of the World Cup, which begins in the West Indies on March 13.

Pace bowler Irfan Pathan has missed all previous matches against Sri Lanka due to a sore shoulder. Another pace bowler, Ajit Agarkar, and middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh have also struggled with their fitness.

Agarkar was down with flu and Singh afflicted by back pain at the start of the series, but featured in Wednesday's one-dayer that India won by five wickets.

Going into the last game of the four-match series India and Sri Lanka are tied 1-1. The series opener was disrupted by heavy showers and abandoned as a draw.