A panel discussion on 150 years of Eden Gardens, commemorating 150 years of the hallowed stadium, organized by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry in association with IDBI Bank, The Telegraph, Air India and Anderson Printing opened to a packed house.
The second largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity, the Eden Gardens remains cricket's answer to the Coliseum in Rome. The Eden Gardens hasn’t been just cricket but a life lived under its rich history that rose to mythical proportions at times, felt the panel of Bengal cricketers spanning generations – the likes of Gopal Bose, Russi Jeejeebhoy, Saradindu Mukherjee, Deep Dasgupta, CAB Treasurer Biswarup Dey and noted journalist and moderator of the session, Debashish Datta.
Sharing their personal anecdotes and speaking of the glory of Eden Gardens, the stalwarts recreated the sub plots in the big story that make Eden Gardens. Wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, opening batsman Gopal Bose and off –spinner Saradindu Mukherjee spoke of their tryst with the ground – a ground that grew from having the coarse slab of concrete as stands to wooden stands and finally now the more comfortable bucket seats to the age defying outfield that has remained grassy and of smooth character, making it the best in the country, way above Delhi’s dusty Feroze Shah Kotla and the undulating Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
According to Gopal Bose, Eden’s character has changed over the years owing to the “haphazard construction”, though CAB has been able to gradually rectify the flaws. The old-timers linked Eden’s vanishing swing with the new constructions, specially the design of some of the stands, which have changed the course of wind flowing into the stadium. But despite the blemishes, they were all for change as change is perpetual.
With the ground’s legacy being transcendent, the iconic ground has witnessed countless test matches, ODIs, Twenty20s and of course the latest in the marquee, the IPL.
As one of the country’s oldest Chamber of Commerce, The Bengal Chamber was privileged to host a programme for the most special cricket ground in the country.