December 31

Hardly anyone out and about in Cape Town. Walk up Table Mountain on the gentlest
trail route, the Pipe Track, which goes around the mountain. Still has breathtaking
views of the sea and the Twelve Apostles. Called Pipe Track because along it run
pipes that were built in the 19th century to carry water from Disa Gorge in the
mountain's back table to various parts of Cape Town.

Drink cold, sweet water from a fresh stream. Look at the cable car in the distance.
Admire the adventurers who don't need the cable car to get to the top. Watch
enviously as parasailers fly like birds in the clear blue sky.

January 1
Two hikers - one of them a tour guide and an expert climber - fall from just below
the upper cable car station of Table Mountain. The same spot I looked at yesterday.
Hundreds of visitors wait as the cable car goes on a rescue mission. Read that
friendly looking Table Mountain can at times be deadlier than even Mt Everest.
Major cause of fatalities is underestimating weather changes , travelling without
protection from cold, and without water or route maps. Realise I went up without
all three. Feel a cough settling in.

January 2
India have barred fans from watching and media from filming their nets. Security at
Newlands says it is the team management's instructions. Remember defending this
team in England on a BBC lunchtime talk show on the sidelines of a tour game in
Derby against the same charges. Such bans on watching net sessions come about in
these countries only when India are in town. Either the team takes the love it gets
for granted or fans of Indian cricket are too intrusive when allowed to watch the
nets. As is usually the case, the truth is a mix of both.

January 3
Evan Flint has been doing Newlands pitches for close to a decade now. Loves talking
about Travis, his Staffordshire terrier. Often brings him to the ground. Faf du
Plessis has asked for a certain pitch, which is difficult to deliver thanks to the
long drought in Cape Town. Flint uses bore-hole water to grow grass on the pitch.
His first duty today: fix the Indian flag. India's patriotic support staff points
out that the flag is inverted: green is on top, saffron bottom.

"Delirious with fever. Try to be like organically minded Capetonians and not
take paracetamol, and let it subside naturally. Unable to sleep, google about
fever"

January 4
India choose to not train on the day before the big Test. Sanjay Bangar, the
batting coach, is driven in for a press conference more than one hour after the
scheduled time. Local media lets him know what they think. The Indian media, which
has seen worse, are blase.

Faf du Plessis says this is the most difficult selection he has had to make as
captain. Turns out later it is a fiery spell from Dale Steyn in the nets the day
before that has made it difficult. Original plan might have been to go with three
seamers - Steyn not among them - but things could change.

Delirious with fever. Try to be like organically minded Capetonians and not take
paracetamol and let it subside naturally. Unable to sleep, google about fever.
Learn that if fever stays, it could be fatal or damage brain cells. Pop a couple,
unwilling to lose life or, more importantly, brain cells on eve of big Test.

January 5
India make shock selection of Rohit Sharma over Ajinkya Rahane. Were forced, it
will emerge later, to pick Jasprit Bumrah ahead of Ishant Sharma, who hasn't fully
recovered from an illness. Fulfill promise of playing Hardik Pandya after grooming
him for the last year. On a green pitch, Bhuvneshwar Kumar gives India the perfect
start, but AB de Villiers counterattacks stunningly to help South Africa to 286.
India lose three before stumps, shots born of discomfort against bounce. Did they
miss some extra training days?

Watch not from press box but viewing gallery outside commentary boxes.
Disconcerting cold wind but better than being behind glass. Miss presence of Robin
Jackman, who would sit here between commentary stints, smoking, solving crossword
after crossword.

January 6
Pandya delivers on promise with bat, scoring 93 after India are reduced to 92 for
7. Ridiculed because of silly comparisons with Kapil Dev, Pandya is more like MS
Dhoni the Test batsman. Walks down wicket to cut seam, doesn't mind wearing a few,
finds a way. South Africa still strong with 77-run first-innings lead.
The Gumtree wall in Johannesburg: put your flyer up today and it'll be papered over
twice by tomorrow Sidharth Monga / � ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Have my West Indies hat snatched away by Michael Holding. Not proud of the regional
team anymore.

Wind him up with: "But Mikey, they are the defending World T20 champions."

"I am talking flippin' cricket."

January 7
Rains all day but not the kind that will fill water tanks in the drought-hit city.
Annoying drizzle that doesn't allow any play. Spend time talking cricket with
Daryll Cullinan. Tell him how Newlands allows people to whom the ground meant a lot
to have their ashes spread on outfield. Says he wants his ashes spread on the pitch
of his school ground.

Learn how Makhaya Ntini developed his jump away from the stumps in his delivery
stride. Used to bowl in tackies as a youngster because he couldn't afford cricket
boots. Had to avoid landing on hard pitch.

January 8
With moisture trapped underneath, the Newlands pitch becomes unplayable again,
after having flattened out on day two. South Africa are bowled out for 130 but
India fail to chase 208. Lots of hope as innings begins, but on this pitch, really
difficult. Paying price for mistakes on day one. So much build-up, so much
anticipation - they don't give themselves the best chance to compete.

January 9
Cape Town could be the first big city in the world to run dry. Households are
allowed 87 litres of water per person per day. Showers restricted to two minutes.
Collect overflow of showers in buckets to flush toilets with. Advised to not flush
after peeing. "If it's yellow, let it mellow." Forget washing cars or watering
lawns, although the rich suburbs are full of manicured green gardens.