From footballers on airplanes to cricketers in white coats. Sandeep Dwivedi pieces together the tournament with notes from his daily diary

September 20: After being airborne for nine hours, wake up to the sight of planes with football players painted on them — it’s not a dream but Johannesburg’s way of saying it’s ready for the 2010 World Cup. Run into Rohan Bopanna while checking in at the hotel. It’s India’s chance to make the Davis Cup World Group after 11 years, so head to tennis instead of cricket. Somdev Devvarman doesn’t disappoint; the tour starts with an ace.

September 21: A giraffe is grazing on a highway farm en route to the Indians’ nets at Potchefstroom. Team manager Anurag Thakur bowls loopy off-spinners and gets hit for the first of several sixes of the tour.

September 22: Opening night, and Centurion is excited as South Africa are playing Sri Lanka. Jonty Rhodes is jumping around catching tennis balls on the sidelines for a promotional event. Later, Mumbai Indians fielding coach tells a Sachin Tendulkar story. Tendulkar once asked him to throw down a ball at full pelt from close range. He let it rip, but it returned from the middle of the bat at an even greater speed.

September 24: Tense faces in the Indian camp as an internal dossier is leaked to the media. All other teams are too busy making fun of the advice on sex given to the Indian players in the document. Worse, Yuvraj Singh hurts his finger during practice and is ruled out of the tournament.

... contd.