What would be your most memorable event at the Eden Gardens?
A fired-up Mohun Bagan holding Pele’s Cosmos 2-2 in a friendly in 1977? VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid scripting perhaps India’s greatest-ever Test victory against Australia in 2001? Rohit Sharma’s 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014?
Or The death of 16 football fans during a Mohun Bagan vs. East Bengal match in 1980? Crowd booing Sunil Gavaskar after Kapil Dev was dropped from a Test against England in 1984? The 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka being called off due to crowd trouble and the latter being declared winners?
Good, bad or ugly, there are just too many memories associated with this majestic stadium, referred world over as the ‘iconic Eden’.
Indeed, this imposing structure in the heart of the city’s green zone is much more than just a sporting facility. It is an icon that almost every person in Kolkata takes pride in. After all, the first-ever World Cup final outside England was held here in 1987. Of greater historical significance was South Africa’s return to international cricket, after a two-decade-long ban, here in 1991. As an ageing Clive Rice led the South Africans into the field for a One-Day International, a crucial political message was being passed on: India stood at the forefront of a united world, well beyond the barriers of colour.
The Eden Gardens, which looks a lot bigger than its official capacity of 68,000, remains a favourite venue for the home team — be it India, Bengal or KKR — and fans alike
Eden Gardens may no longer be the biggest cricket stadium in the world, but its lungs remain as strong as ever. Even now, a visiting batter feels ice-cold fingers running down the spine when the Eden stands launch into their trademark roar. No wonder, Eden Gardens has remained a favourite venue for the home team, whether it is India, Bengal or Kolkata Knight Riders. The daunting complex looks a lot bigger than its official capacity of 68,000.
Even though a series of renovations have turned the Eden Gardens into a modern sporting infrastructure, it has managed to retain its old-world charm. Watching a game of cricket, whichever format it may be, from the stands is indeed a joy, particularly if it is a winter evening. The cool breeze from the Hooghly adds to the nip in the air, with the “expert commentary” going on all around makes for a heady mixture. The guy two rows away in a floppy hat has lots of advice on how Virat Kohli should tackle a Mitchel Starc outswinger. The woman to his right is no novice. She is holding nothing back in letting Cheteshwar Pujara know where he should dispatch Nathan Lyon.
The much spoken-about Kolkata adda is at its glorified best as the game is dissected threadbare. There could be a Poltu at the “iconic Eden” swinging his shirt like the “iconic Dada”, Sourav Ganguly. In another corner, a Bappa might well be advising “Warner-da” to move aside when Jasprit Bumrah hurls a fireball at him.
Some old-timers might recall a pitch invader climbing over the fence and dodging the guards to run onto the ground with a bat to teach Gavaskar cross-batted shots. Sunny played along with mock seriousness and the entire stadium was in splits.
This enthusiasm took an ugly turn in 1999 when an accidental collision between Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar and Sachin Tendulkar in a Test match led to the latter being declared run out. The Eden crowd turned hostile and, amid chants of “Shoaib cheater”, stones and bottles were thrown to the ground. Play was stopped and Tendulkar had to return to the field to pacify the crowd. The stadium had to be evacuated and the match continued with around 200 in attendance. For the record, Pakistan won the match, but Eden Gardens’ image had been tarnished.
The first-ever day-night Test in India was played on this hallowed turf in 2019. The pink ball provided a new dimension to the game and threw up unknown challenges. That India walloped Bangladesh is just a side story in the larger picture of the innovation that was mastered in Australia. The next big international game at this venue, an ODI between India and South Africa, had to be cancelled due to the impending Covid-19 pandemic.
There was a time when fans were allowed to carry food with them inside, giving Eden a picnic-like atmosphere. Not any longer, due to security reasons. That hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm much as fans have reluctantly accepted this new normal in the package of watching cricket at the Eden. And if there is no cricket happening at the stadium, a stroll in the park beside it could be a delightful outing in the evening: A breath of fresh air; a few stolen moments.
