World T20: Eden Gardens, gem of India

A view of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata

'Dada' kept trotting in and out of his cabin, looking dapper as ever, engrossed in meetings.
This is one cabin which has created quite a bit of history. This was home to the then Jagmohan Dalmiya, the man who revolutionised Indian cricket and brought it to where it is today.
And quite obviously, those are massive, massive shoes to fill.
But Sourav Ganguly, was going about it at best he could possibly can. Ganguly fought many a battle during his playing days, but this was a different role, as a cricket administrator. 'Dada,' though, was handling it quite admirably. This was his first big assignment at the helm of affairs at the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and at the Eden Gardens no less.
Those very mentions give you goose bumps. The CAB, the majestic Eden Gardens, this is a place steeped in history. There are historic monuments all around it, pre-dating to the pre-Independence era, and which still stands proudly, a throwback to that era.
And that air still hovers at the Eden Gardens, the scene of many a epic battles, awesome sporting displays and the heroes that emerged out of it.
There are many reels that one can play, starting with that historic first ever Test at the Eden Gardens-the 1933-34 January Test between England and India and then the New Year Test between India and the West Indies in 1948-49, the first Test after India's Independence at the Eden Gardens.
We have had many too post-Independence, like the 1996 final between India and Sri Lanka and that epic, epic Test against the then 'Invincible' Australians when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid turned a the corner for Indian cricket.
Images from that era adorn the walls of the Eden Gardens.
Back then, the Eden Gardens was home to 120,000 spectators but after the 2011 World Cup, it can only accommodate just close to 70,000.
But it still retains its aura as a 'Coliseum,' and it indeed is. And it still has that old charm and aura around it.
And Eden Gardens was being decked up for the World Twenty20 final on Saturday, with the broadcaster doing 'dry runs' and the stage party doing a mock drill.