THERE he was, resting his tired legs on the grass, sweat streaming down his cheeks, eyes still gleaming with desire, after a typically hard work-out under Aussie great Dennis Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation's nets.
Javagal Srinath had bowled his heart out, ironing out the slight chinks that may have crept into his bowling, in Chennai before the demanding South African campaign.
As the premier fast bowler in the side, he knew he had an important role to play. He was on the threshold of 200 Test wickets too.
Watching Srinath that day, a small conversation with him during the tour of Sri Lanka sprang to mind. A chat that revealed the humility in the man.
The Karnataka paceman had just arrived in the emerald island for the Test series, and when asked about his goals for the matches, Srinath's answer took one aback.
"I was the senior paceman in Zimbabwe, and I let the side down. Didn't bowl well. I want to make amends for that in Lanka," were his self-berating words.
In this age of 'Big Money' cricket, where players seldom think twice before churning out excuses, these were also the words of a honest man. But then, Srinath is different.
Eventually, Srinath ended up playing in just one Test in Lanka - the disastrous match at Galle - thanks to a thunderbolt from Dilhara Fernando that crashed against his left glove breaking a bone in the process.
Yet, it was a brave performance from Srinath, when he came out to bowl in the Lankan first innings, his left arm plastered. He must have been in great pain, but overcame an erratic start, when the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya cut loose, to eventually finish with five wickets.
Deep down Srinath must have known that he would be flying back after the Test, but this did not prevent him from giving it his all. A display which provides us with a glimpse of Srinath's passion for his craft.
And it indeed was a memorable occasion for this hard-working cricketer when he nailed his 200th Test victim in Bloemfontein, consuming Shaun Pollock. It was also Srinath's 54th Test.
He thus became only the second Indian paceman after the legendary Kapil Dev to achieve the landmark. Amid the ruins of Blomfontein, where Ganguly's men once again came face to face with a harsh reality, it was a significant moment for Srinath and Indian cricket.
Some might argue that the Karnataka paceman should have got to the milestone sooner, but that would be like missing wood for trees. Srinath is the first Indian 'fast bowler' to progress so far - Kapil for all his natural ability was at best fast medium.
So in a land where a genuine quick is as rare as a pizza without a topping, Srinath struck a huge psychological blow for Indian cricket, when he came charging in and made 'em whistle past the batsmen's nose.
True, there have been occasions when he has operated a wee bit too short, given the batsmen width, and indeed, he could have consumed more batsmen, had he pitched the ball up, allowed the delivery to swing, and invited the drive, yet that shouldn't prevent us from looking at the bigger picture.
Given the fact that he came from a part of India that was better known for quality spinners, and given his limitations physically when he started his quest, Srinath's feat is an outstanding one.
The 'featherbeds' in India can shatter several fledgling 'pace' dreams, and all credit to Srinath for keeping his chin up, and achieving a large portion of his success on these tracks.
The two other notable fast bowlers who have turned out for India are the big built Mohammed Nissar in the '30s, and then the tiny Ramakant Desai in the 50s and the 60s. Their records make interesting reading.
Nissar, who played in an era where matches were few and far between, finished with 25 wickets in six Tests, while, Desai, reputed with a deceptively quick bouncer, 74 in 28. After them, till the arrival of Zaheer Khan, Srinath has easily been the quickest of the lot.
Ever since he burst into National reckoning in the early 90s, coming up with a blistering spell on Pune's placid track, against Maharashtra in a Ranji Trophy knock-out encounter, Srinath was marked as someone special.
He was mainly an inswing bowler, with a wicked short ball. Over the years, Srinath has developed an 'useful' straighter one, and occasionally take the ball away from the right-hander.
"In the sub-continent we tend to concentrate on reverse swing with the old ball, and carry that habit with the new ball as well," he said when asked why he found it hard to send down outswingers at will.
The strength of Srinath has always been his ability to provide the early breakthroughs, and then, if he strikes a good rhythm, wade through the middle-order.
However, he has struggled against the tail on occasions, for the lack of a consistently good yorker. A factor that has come in the way of Srinath running through line-ups.
While it cannot be denied that Kapil Dev stayed on in the Indian team, well after his glory days were over denying Srinath the opportunity to use the new ball when he was at his quickest, the man from Mysore himself regards Kapil as an inspirational figure.
"Pace bowling is easier for the Australians, the West Indians, and the South Africans because of their natural build and the wickets they bowl on. It is far tougher for us from the sub-continent. There are so many stumbling blocks. We have to work harder. Kapil set an example," he revealed once.
And Srinath, despite hurdles like a rotator cuff tear, that forced him to return from the Caribbean campaign in '97, has displayed the strength of mind to bounce back from career-threatening setbacks.
Along the way he struck a fine partnership with canny seamer Venkatesh Prasad, who is himself close to hundred Test wickets. If Prasad reaches there, it will mark a rare Karnataka double, for no other Indian paceman, apart from Kapil and Srinath have crossed the 100-wicket mark.
Mumbai's left-arm seamer Karsan Ghavri did have 109 victims in 39 Tests, but scalped a fair number of them with spin, that came in handy during the later stages of his career.
And the clever swing bowler from Delhi, Manoj Prabhakar, finished desperately close to 100 Test wickets, with the selectors' whimsical ways depriving him of the honour.
These figures also present Srinath's achievement in true light. This simple man has weathered several storms in an eventful career, often bucking the odds and surprising his critics. Today, the 32-year-old Srinath, still the brightest shining star in the Indian pace pack, has an key role to play in guiding youngsters like Zaheer Khan and Aashish Nehra, bowlers with a definite future, if groomed properly.
Yes, Javagal Srinath has come a long way from being a frail paceman from Mysore, who lived on hope and little else. Today, he is a survivor. Someone who has made several of his dreams come true. That's what life is all about, isn't it?
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