How does the first chapter of the Satcharitra equate Sai Baba with Lord Ganesha?

The first chapter of the Sai Satcharitra draws a direct and profound parallel between Sai Baba and Lord Ganesha. After the initial salutations to Ganesha as the destroyer of obstacles, the text makes the explicit statement, 'This Sai himself is Ganesha Ganapati; this Sai, taking the axe in hand and destroying obstacles, shall bring forth his own knowledge.' This passage, found in Chapter 1, identifies Sai not just as a devotee of Ganesha, but as the very embodiment of Ganesha's divine function. By presenting Sai as the one who wields the axe to clear the path for his own story to be told, the chapter establishes his supreme and non-dual nature from the very beginning.