Some time during that 90-minute ride, he turned to security man Faisul Nagel, who was at the wheel, chatted for a few minutes, then turned away to watch the grass whiz by. There was no one else, just his cricket gear, the India blazer, and yes, a small reminder of the last 12 months—a Bengal team kitbag.

At the Sedgars Park in Potchesfstroom, a quiet little farming town, the cameras had begun to gather, India had started its net session, the air had begun to crackle.

Around 10.30 am, Ganguly walked into the Willows hotel, two kilometres away, blazer in place, the smile, too. A quick change of clothes, one final turn towards the ground, and he stepped out quietly, specks of bright grey glowing beneath the India cap.

Where is Greg Chappell?

The Australian coach, whose leaked email spelt the beginning of the end, was a short sprint away, studiously watching the nets, calling up young pacer VRV Singh for a chat. He never turned this way.

Unfazed, Ganguly dragged his kitbag across, knelt down and started unpacking, stopping briefly to exchange quick handshakes and smiles with Munaf Patel, MS Dhoni, and Sreesanth - Dhoni had made his debut under Ganguly, the India captain.

Then, the big moment. Ganguly got up, walked across to Chappell.

As they shook hands, ears perked up all around the wire mesh, struggling to catch the few words that were exchanged. “He said, Welcome back, mate.” “No, he asked is it good to be back.” “I don’t think so.” Chappell smiled, Ganguly, too, a quick handshake and it was down to cricket.

But wait, look who’s charging up to bowl the first ball. It’s Ian Nicholson, former Zimbabwe A pacer, who had bowled to the left-hander at the nets “two-three days before” the Harare Test of September 2005_Ganguly’s last as India captain.

Today, he’s there at the nets again, bowling to Ganguly, the batsman. “He is batting just the same, I couldn’t spot any difference,” Nicholson told this newspaper, bewildered by all the fuss. The 20-year-old bowled just one ball to the 33-year-old, jet-lagged, tired, but determined, as he has been throughout that stormy career of 88 Tests, 12 hundreds. It was a bouncer Dada ducked, emerged unscathed.

“He will make a difference. He’s got experience, good leadership, and he’s played in South Africa before. This time, he will have the players behind him. And if he and Greg Chappell can sort out their differences, it won’t do any harm to Indian cricket,” former South African captain Kepler Wesels told The Indian Express from Johannesburg.

Wessels should know. He was director of cricket this season at Northamptonshire, where Ganguly had vanished this June _to work on his comeback. “He is determined to play. He has got money, everything, so that’s not a factor. He wants to play for India and he wants to play the World Cup in the end,” says Wessels.

Now that, only the coach can tell, or maybe the captain. Just before he went in to bat, Ganguly did walk up to Rahul Dravid. They had a small chat of their own, both struggling to meet each other’s eyes. Remember Dravid the wicket-keeper?

Then, there was VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and finally Sachin Tendulkar, smiling, soft, the ghosts of the past locked up somewhere inside. It was Dada, after all, one of India’s most inspirational leaders, Dravid’s “God on the offside”, the man who has simply refused to lie down and die, even if his bat may be struggling to keep up with the mind.

“Sourav has been a tremendous player for the team, and his return will definitely boost the confidence in the team. We all have tremendous respect for Sourav,” said Laxman.

Ask Sreesanth, who asked “Dada” to return to the nets for a second stint, just so that the youngster could sort out his length against South Africa’s leftie line-up of Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince and Jacques Rudolph. “Anything you say,” Ganguly told a beaming Sreesanth, picking up his bat once again.

Yes, the man knows how to connect—with anybody, at any level. But will that be enough this time? Will Ganguly play the four-day game against Rest of South Africa on Thursday? He should. The first Test? He should, but only if the team decides to go in with four bowlers.

Dravid has told this newspaper that he is keen and confident that he will play in the first Test starting December 15, even if his finger injury may prevent him from fielding up close. Even Tendulkar has shrugged off his elbow “bruise”, telling The Indian Express, “I am fine, very fine. I think I will play in this tour game too.”

So here it is then, the big question. Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid. And?