As one moved towards the Mumbai camp one met Ramesh Mane, Team India’s masseur who, like the stars, was also on domestic duty for Ranji final.

Talk to him about Tendulkar’s way of dealing with the pains in his elbow, shoulder, back, knees and other dodgy anatomy, and he smiles. “Finally, it all boils down to the mind. There is no player on the circuit without an ailment, but Tendulkar has a way of dealing with it. He enjoys the game without being overtly worried about these injuries. It is this attitude that has seen him survive international cricket for so long,” he says.

Discipline happens to be the second precaution that Tendulkar has ingrained in himself. “Even for a Ranji game he is at the ground before time, goes through the drills and never misses a session. Once I went to his room a night before the game. The entire kit was neatly prepared the bats, gloves, thigh pad, helmet placed perfectly. Such small things show his work ethics and his professional approach. A strong mind takes care of these things,” he says.

When the Indians were touring the West Indies last time Ganguly and Tendulkar were busy healing the scars — mental and physical, respectively. But with days to go for a more significant Caribbean trip, they have regained their demi-god status and have a reserved VIP parking slot in the India team.