Australia and West Indies play their warm-up match at Police Park. It's a fairly large ground (although the boundaries have been drawn in), and the outfield in places is patchy, the grass a mixture of green and sandy brown. The first thing that hits you – literally – is the oppressive heat. The Australians have been in the field for close to three hours and those close to the boundary rope are gulping down liquids at every opportunity. Under the harsh sun, the Australian kit shines so bright it's almost blinding. As the men in yellow run about in pursuit of the white ball, you look to your right and see the crowd. There's about 200 people assembled outside the railings square of the wicket, little colourful specks that resemble the points on a Seurat canvas. They're far luckier than the players, as there are several huge trees behind the railings providing a nice, leafy canopy.

As I wander around the field, I come across John Buchanan, the Australian coach, standing at long-off with a JVC handycam focussed on the action. He exchanges a few words with Matthew Hayden, who's sporting azure-blue shades. The scorers' hut is a few yards behind them and I go up there. Three men in a narrow space, two of them making little additions into the scorebook every few seconds. They use six different coloured pens and watching them exchange one for the other is a ritual in itself. Above them, on the first floor (can a hut have floors?), the scoreboard operator keeps things ticking over. The clang of the metal plates on which the numbers are painted in white is practically the only sound you hear on the periphery of things.

As I walk back, I bump into a smartly dressed local who peers closely at my press badge before initiating conversation. "Aren't Wisden the people who bring out that BIG yellow book?" he asks. I'm not sure how much my old boss, who now edits the Almanack, would appreciate his publication being compared to the Yellow Pages, but there's not much I can do but smile and say "Yes".

He's a pharmacist who has decided on an extended lunchbreak so that he can watch some of the action. "This Sarwan boy is very good, number one timer," he tells you. "But I think India have world's top three batsmen – Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid." Better than his own countrymen? "De Silva is No. 1 player, but he's too old," he tells you perfunctorily. And doesn't he fancy the Aussies? "Hmmm yes, they have some great batsmen. Damien Martyn, he play the cover-drive like ..." he murmurs with his head gesturing to the heavens. "And that Hayden, he's built like the Bullworker man," he adds, in reference to the body-building equipment that was once endorsed by the likes of cycling legend Eddie Merckx.

I heave a sigh of relief once the 50 overs are up. Sarwan ends proceedings with a gorgeous flick off the pads behind square as West Indies finish at 265 for 6. Sarwan remains unbeaten on 72, and there's also a half-century for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, though Brian Lara – much to the pharmacist's dismay – makes only 4.

I leave the ground with my thinnest linen shirt plastered to my back, marvelling at the stamina of the players who spend hours on the field in conditions that wouldn't tempt a bat out of hell. The Corona before lunch never tasted better ...

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India. His reports will appear here throughout the Champions Trophy.

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