Seems like it's not a good idea to have a pre-conceived notion of CVS SCM model in mind while learning Git.
Going through the kernel.org links, especially this one, I kept waiting for the explanation of the central repository.
Kept reading and kept waiting.
Till I read this which left me nonplussed. Especially this part
Git differs from CVS in that every working tree contains a repository with a full copy of the project history, and no repository is inherently more important than any other.
Ack!
OK, now it appears I have to unlearn a couple of things before I can fully grasp Git. (There goes my perception, you know one SCM tool, all others are a variation of that)
Let's see how much I get sorted out.