The Indians left in the wee hours of the morning, the New Zealanders departed this morning, and the Sri Lankans have all gone to their respective homes. The hotel lobbies are bereft of any waiting journalists and fans. Conspicuous by their absence is the Indian family of four, always dressed in Sahara India blues, and the fanboy band of five who freaked out at the sight of any big Indian cricketer.

With time on my hand, I decided to go back one final time to Maitland Place, the popular and stand-out road which hosts the three first-class clubs - the Nondescripts Cricket Club, the Colombo Cricket Club, and the Sinhalese Sports Club. Or, as they're commonly known, the triple Cs - NCC, CCC and SSC. The three are unique in that they are all in one line and can be accessed rather easily. There's CCC on the west side of the road, NCC just across it, and SSC a six-hit away.

The time has gone by fast. I had the pleasure of watching a Test at the SSC and a friendly game between Sri Lankan journalists and a television channel team. Today the ground is empty and a few groundstaff are working on the manual scoreboard. The silence is peaceful. They really should put up lights here and host one-dayers. This would be a fantastic ground to hold World Cup matches on.

I quicky dash into the NCC, where the security is far less than at the SSC. What you notice first, is the absence of advertisements. It's a throwback to what I would imagine old county grounds to be like in far corners of England. It reminds me - just a little - of Tunbridge Wells. The archaic old pavillion probably shapes a fair amount of my perception.

The CCC, the oldest of the cricket clubs in Sri Lanka, founded in 1832, used to be known as the Maitland Crescent Ground. It's a small ground; I'm told it can hold about 5,000 spectators. That number seems large to me, given how small the space allotted to fans is. Here too, is a manual scoreboard and a concrete building that houses the media box. There's a row of old trees around one section of the ground, and a verandah from which you can sit and watch cricket. There is no one here today and against the absence of traffic noise, it adds to the charming old-world feel to it.

And so, a 23-day tour has come to a close. It's been fun, getting to speak to Ian Bishop, Ranjit Fernando, and Danny Morrison; interviewing players; watching cricket; making new friends, meeting old ones; dinner at the Gallery Cafe, neighbour to the equally storied Cricket Club Cafe on Queen's Road; a fun pub quiz night with the New Zealanders; mad tuk-tuk rides, equally insane taxi ones. It's been good, Colombo.

	Paul Farbrace's two-year stint as Sri Lanka's assistant coach has come to an end © Cricinfo Ltd

Rare is the occasion that an assistant coach accompanies a captain to a post-match press conference, but the occasion called for it. Paul Farbrace, who worked with Sri Lanka for two years, had just completed his last assignment.

At the presentation ceremony, Farbrace had been given a parting gift and a special mention. He received a loud cheer from spectators and players and got a firm handshake from Kumar Sangakkara and Percy Abeysekara, the die-hard Sri Lankan fan. Standing around as Sangakkara later thanked him for all his efforts, Farbrace was hugged by Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Farbrace, who assisted Trevor Bayliss, played an important role in making Sri Lanka a winning unit in world cricket, as Sangakkara reminded journalists later. “Paul has been very good with the little details, the tips he’s given the fast bowlers on improving their techniques has been important. He’s also helped batsmen score runs and there’s been a real sense of belonging with Paul. He’s been a good guy to have around and it’s sad that he’s leaving us at a critical time but we fully support him in whatever he does. We will really miss him.”

“I think this team has plenty of potential in all formats of the game,” said Farbrace while sitting next to Sangakkara in front of the media. “They’ve accomplished a lot and I’m very proud to have been associated with the Sri Lankan team.

Farbrace will be returning to England to take up the position of head coach of Kent, the county he left two years ago to undertake the Sri Lanka job.

	© Cricinfo Ltd

The sign, wearing the look of a hoarding that’s been through many monsoons and in need of a fresh coat of paint, still stood out: MAX Cricket Academy of Sri Lanka.

Having heard of Sri Lanka's premier grooming centre and seen it on a few between-innings television shows, I was pleased to find out it was in a corner of the R Premadasa Stadium’s compounds. The academy, which started in 2003, has been consistently producing players over the years. The idea, borrowed from the Australian model, was to have an institution which Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) can use year round for development of talent.

Cricketers at the academy must be between 18-23 years. They are selected by the national selectors and sent here not only to hone and develop their talents, but also taught how to conduct themselves as cricketers. Aside from technical skills, the staff at the academy teaches aspiring cricketers about the benefits of nutrition, diet, etiquette and how to interact with the media. Certain batches have had the opportunity to learn computer studies. The academy also liaises with the national selectors about promising talent.

The premises includes a fully-equipped training center with high-quality turf nets, a gymnasium, seminar rooms and a dormitory.

Jerome Jayaratne, the head coach of the academy, who’s been associated with SLC for the last ten years, works with a staff of 25. He tells me that some of the academy’s graduates include Nuwan Kulasekara, Chamara Kapugedara, Upul Tharanga, Angelo Mathews and Dammika Prasad. The academy also sends staff to clinics across the country, aiming at developing the game at the districts and divisions. While it has no plans at the moment to send players overseas, the academy has hosted batches of youngsters from Nottinghamshire and Durham this year. The former Australia offspinner Ashley Mallett worked here during his stint as spin consultant.

Ishara Amerasinghe, the fast bowler who played one Test and a few ODIs for Sri Lanka, steps out of his car. He's had stints here and watches the Indians practice before going into the academy offices.

As the Indian team went through their net session, it was interesting to watch the local net bowlers helping out in practice. It's not everyday that one gets to bowl to international players. Venkatesh Prasad, India's bowling coach, gathered four enthusiasts and asked them what they bowl. There's a chinaman, a legspinner, and two eager fast bowlers. There is a language barrier but it is not a major hindrance and the bowlers are told to bowl to the Indians. A few try too hard, and are told by Prasad to focus on line and length rather than pace. One legspinner got some treatment from Suresh Raina, who looked very good as he timed the ball sweetly. The young lad grimaced every time Raina hammered him off the front foot.

This can only be a learning curve for the youngsters. Hopefully one day they will hit the big time.

	Rahul Dravid batted without any noticeable flourish, but that sturdiness and approach was unmistakable © AFP

There wasn’t much of a change in mood as the Indian team went about their practice today, given the news that Gautam Gambhir was out of the series. If it had affected them in any way, they didn’t show it. MS Dhoni, at a press conference, said the team had dealt with such losses before and had always stepped up.

Gambhir’s departure has deprived India of a player able to score quickly and bat through the innings. Gambhir is also an excellent player of spin. After Sachin Tendulkar at the top, the man most capable of playing the anchor role is Rahul Dravid.

Dravid was a surprise inclusion in the one-day side, but his need was justified. India’s middle order had their share of problems against the short ball, highlighted by several teams during the ICC World Twenty20, and the selectors called on someone reliable.

Virender Sehwag was not an option before the team was announced, Gambhir was today ruled out. Dravid will bat ahead of Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, a quartet that provides India with big-hitting early, during the middle overs, and late on. On these pitches, against skillful slow bowlers who know more about choking than the average serial killer, whether setting or chasing, you need something special. Thilan Samaraweera showed that.

Dravid has always appeared to construct his innings in a thorough manner. He runs hard between the wickets, he drops the ball gently here and there, and manages to find the boundary ropes with deftness as opposed to power. His two most productive regions to collect boundaries when batting at the end of an innings are the arc between point and gully and the area behind square, just wide of short fine leg. Shots played there are mostly down to astute placement than belligerence.

Today he played shots that appeared like they’d perforate those gaps. Watching a batsman at the nets can offer you insights into his mental and physical state: how did he read the ball, move into position in time? Did he play his shots with ease to wherever he wanted? Today, outdoors at the nets against his bowling team-mates, Dravid batted without any noticeable flourish, but that sturdiness and approach was unmistakable. They are two traits Dravid possesses that can quickly deflate a bowling side.

He was in a rhythm today. It’s only practice, but if you have an eye for the techniques of batting it can be beneficial. Dravid stood still until the bowler delivered; his feet and hands moved with speed and precision. His head was still. Raina and Dinesh Karthik, batting at adjacent nets, moved much more at the crease.

A couple drives off the quick bowlers and two late-cuts from off stump off Amit Mishra – the shots were placed with the accuracy of a surgeon – was ample proof that Dravid is in good nick.

A significant part of being a cricket journalist involves standing around. It can be a pleasure and a pain, depending on how you see it. Today a group of print and electronic media waited two hours for a five-minute spectacle. In the evening, 25 minutes of watching Rahul Dravid seemed too short.

Welcomed by a thunderous rainstorm, the Indian team arrived in Colombo for the Compaq Cup, which they will contest on September 11 and 12 with hopes of making the final. The players reached Sri Lanka in the afternoon and headed straight for the team hotel under strong security cover. Two hours before their arrival, the lobby at the Taj Samudra was abuzz in anticipation. It felt more like a G8 Summit. Rounds of coffee and tea were had. Jokes were cracked. Acquaintances were made and renewed.

The Indians arrived and out came the garlands. Shutters clicked. Cameras panned every inch of the players’ moves. The area between two elevators was chaotic. Hotel staff, guests and traveling fans clamoured to get a look. I was startled when a male fan came running toward his friends and actually jumped up and down showing off the pictures taken on his camera phone. The entire spectacle lasted but five minutes, and we’d been waiting for two hours; some from even before.

You know the Indians are around because security and the number of cameras is tripled. Some 35 journalists applied for media accreditation for a four-game tournament, out of which India are guaranteed only two. In the evening, an optional practice was attended by the entire Indian team and support staff. Where only a few nights ago I had been able to virtually stand a few feet from Shane Bond and watch him bowl, this evening all of us journalists were told to keep our distance.

The players warmed up with fielding drills along the length of the pitches before disbanding into three groups. One bunch did reflex catching along with Gary Kirsten in one net. Robin Singh conducted pick and throw sessions in another. Paddy Upton conducted another drill. After turning a shade of purple trying to blow up an inflatable stretching ball, the trainer worked with Abhishek Nayar.

Two of us journalists strolled along the outer circumference of the R Premadasa Stadium to watch Dravid bat. While Sachin Tendulkar faced Ashish Nehra, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar and Amit Mishra, and played some rather aggressive shots, Dravid batted for roughly 25 minutes against four local net bowlers. I’ve always enjoyed watching net sessions, because it gives you the ability to watch a batsman in his own zone without the pressure of spectators, cameras and playing in real time. A net session is about the individual. Standing around watching a session doesn’t feel tedious for a second. It can be rather enlightening. Kishore Kumar's tunes, playing from near the players' kitbags, also kept us entertained.

This was Dravid’s first net session with the Indian team on tour. He was far from his best against the four lads. There were plenty of mistimed drives, inside-edged tucks off the pads, cramped pull shots and bottom-handed drives to the off. But there were also fine drives off the front foot and rubber-wrist glances. Dravid didn’t use his feet much to the two slow bowlers, one whose action was a crude mix of Sohail Tanvir and Mushtaq Ahmed. The times he did, the ball was firmly hit and almost always along the ground. The frustration of mistimed shots was evident in how Dravid threw the ball back to the bowlers.

When Tendulkar was finished, Dravid walked over to face the team bowlers. The timing improved. Mishra was twice driven straight, one shot going nearly into the sight screen. Harbhajan was slog-swept with power. Dravid shuffled a lot to Nehra and Praveen, looking a bit twitchy.

Yuvraj Singh, having taken Dravid’s place against the net bowlers, began with pokes and pushes before settling down to show off his power. One mighty heave landed on the roof. Venkatesh Prasad and Nehra, as practice winded down, did laps of the ground. Dravid and Suresh Raina did the same.

It was time to head back and we walked to the media centre unrestricted past the ground, staying just inside the boundary rope. We knew how to keep our distance. Cricket journalism is a job undoubtedly, and it's pretty fulfilling.