African Safari: The tour diary

Many are convinced that Sachin Tendulkar has not yet hit his peak. Ravi Shastri has no doubt Tendulkar will be unstoppable in the next four years. "He is entering that stage of his career," said Shastri, articulate as ever. "He has seen everything a bowler can possible do on a cricket pitch." Tendulkar is 28, and everybody knows that age is like spring-time for a Test batsman, one that sees him mature and ripen.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, probably the greatest fan of Tendulkar, says that every time he sees Tendulkar play, he feels like doffing his hat, or turban, if you please.

Sidhu tells an interesting story. "It was in Sri Lanka when Tendulkar was frustrated with the line that Sanath Jayasuriya was bowling to him. He was pitching it beyond the leg-stump, curling it in just enough to escape being called for a wide, and Tendulkar was unable to get him away. In frustration, after five or six overs, Tendulkar gave him the charge and got out. After mulling that dismissal over, we saw a new Tendulkar in the next match; he had added that paddle shot of his which he plays so successfully these days. Now he no longer comes down the wicket to hit over the top."

Going by my experience, I remember that the genesis of the paddle shot was the 1997 tour of the West Indies. The hosts were 1-0 up going into the final Test at Guyana, so, keen to hang on to that lead, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul started bowling his leg-breaks considerably outside leg-stump even on the first morning of the Test! Tendulkar was so cheesed off that he later commented critically about wanting to play Test cricket in this negative fashion.

After his stupendous 155 on the first day of the Test series, Tendulkar was grinning widely during his interview by a television network, leaving one wondering whether it was because his partner Virender Sehwag had said something funny. One later learnt that Tendulkar was amused by the instructions that were being passed on to his ear plug by the producer; he couldn't help but grin at the numerous cross-instructions flying around behind the scenes.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, meanwhile, is contemplating going back to Kolkata after the first Test to be with his wife and his new-born baby girl. Though he says he is waiting to see which way the ongoing Test will turn, if all goes well, he will take a morning flight on Thursday. He should be back much before the four-day practice game at East London draws to a close.

Looking at the way the Indians performed on the opening day of this Test, former South African wicket-keeper Dave Richardson says that it only confirmed what he has believed all these years -that India has the potential to be the best Test-playing nation in the world. "I remember playing in the nets in Eden Gardens once and looking at the local players - they looked so incredibly talented. With the kind of talent you and Pakistan have, they should be the best cricket-playing nations in the world - the best by a long, long way."

But then, isn't this a mystery that has plagued all of us for many, many years?