Hanging over the city like a benevolent uncle, its flattened peak covered with mist, Table Mountain is the guardian angel of Cape Town. Along the mountain, a road lined by little bits of history—ranging from the arrival of Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 to the first heart transplant by Dr Christiaan Barnard in 1967—leads you to Newlands.

Perhaps the most scenic cricket ground in the world, Newlands has its own rich past going back to 1889, when England defeated South Africa by an innings and 202 runs. Over the years, a number of cricketers have claimed ownership of the ground because of their exploits there, but only a few could ever really call it home.

For Gary Kirsten, former South Africa cricketer and current India coach, Newlands was literally his own backyard. When Kirsten was 10, his father Noel took charge as the curator of the ground, and for eight years, the young boy’s life revolved around its lush outfield—be it Currie Cup matches that he could watch from his living room, or the intense games of rugby he played with his brothers on wet off-days.

With cricket in his blood—his older brother Peter played Tests and is perhaps best remembered for his spat with Kapil Dev after the Indian bowler ran him out for backing up too far—Kirsten rose up the ranks quickly enough, his battle with his early critics as successful as his fight with a receding hairline wasn’t.

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