Indian visits always conjure up fond memories for us South Africans. Not only is it a contest which the home side has dominated on four previous occasions - India have won just once in 12 Tests - but more significantly it was Mohammad Azharuddin's side, back in 1992, who featured in the first Test series on South African soil after more than 20-years of political isolation.

Local cricket fans will all have their own specific memories of that first Indian visit to SA - my cricket memory begins with a bounding Anil Kumble taking six wickets at the Wanderers - which has made for a definitive feel-good factor to having Sachin Tendulkar and company in town.

With a hint of nostalgia then, combined with a healthy respect for a world-class Indian side, a clutch of local fans - myself inclued - turned out to watch the tourists' middle-session at the Claremont Cricket Club in Cape Town on Friday morning. There is a tangible positive energy about the Indian team and they are clearly an outfit that gets along. For players with hero-status they are respectfully humble too - Sree Sreesanth for one was on first name terms with the schoolboys doing fielding duty.

There was a quiet and awe-filled atmosphere as Gary Kirsten put his batsmen through their paces in what has generally been an unassuming build-up to what will be a massive Test series. The low-key arrival of the Indian players - slipping into the country one-by-one - the oncoming distraction of Christmas, and most notably the side-show Down Under, have all combined to catch the South African public unawares as to the cricketing treat which awaits them this festive season.

With the first Test less than a week away it is now time to ramp up the excitement.

There are a host of mini-battles within the war worth keeping an eye on. Tendulkar in his time at the crease on Friday was particularly aggressive against the left-arm spin of Pragyan Ojha, hinting at the Little Master preparing to get after Paul Harris. That would present an interesting duel with the South African spinner having fared surprisingly well against Tendulkar in the past. Harris is ready for the challenge too.

"It's a really big thing for me to bowl at him because who would have thought a boy from Kommetjie (near Cape Town) would bowl against Tendulkar," said the Proteas left-armer earlier in the week.

While India are world-class there is a concern that they have missed a trick in the preparation for the three-Test series.

Kepler Wessels explained as much to the Business Day newspaper this week, giving his opinion on Kirsten's choice for acclimatisation in the idylic setting of Constantia in Cape Town: "I don't think that what they are doing is going to help them much."

"You can have as many net sessions as you like with as many academy bowlers bowling at you as you like, and it isn't going to make any difference," said Wessels.

On the evidence of Friday morning, it is hard to disagree with Kepler on this one.

While Sachin Tendulkar will be comfortable on any track at the moment, there were tell-tale signs that India will not be as well prepared as they should be come December 16 at Supersport Park.

The greatest challenge for the accomplished Indian batsmen will be adjusting to harder, bouncier tracks. The bowling attack putting the Indian batsmen through their paces during Friday morning's middle was a combination of Gary Kirsten's bowling-machine-like right arm, India's four-pronged attack and a mixture of local schoolboys.

As decent as Kirsten's right arm happens to be, a throw-down is nothing like a climbing Morne Morkel delivery. The Indian quicks, Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth, were working on their own lengths as opposed to regularly banging it in short, and the 4ft5 grade 12 boy bowling at MS Dhoni, good as he was, was never going to get the ball up about the ears. A better option would have been a warm-up match against a local franchise with young bowlers looking to prove a point.

Having played their last 18 months of Test cricket on the sub-continent, it's easy to believe that India will AGAIN be undercooked against the short ball from the Proteas quicks.

Suresh Raina proved the point; the left-hander was solid behind everything short from Kirsten before being hit by a rare Sreesanth bouncer later on. It was a nasty blow which will have rocked his confidence and re-emphasised his vulnerability to anything short.

The second worry for India's batting will be the fitness of VVS Laxman. The veteran spent a fair amount of time on the treatment table on Friday before looking extremely stiff and uncomfortable at the start of his knock. He is capable of a stand-and-deliver approach but his lack of mobility is likely to catch up with him at some stage.

So with India a touch undercooked in their preparation South Africa will start as favourites on their home turf. Ultimately though only time will tell with the mouthwatering clash of the world's two best teams giving us plenty to look forward to this festive season.