Eden Gardens        

Kolkata, India

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Along with the MCG, the Eden Gardens remains cricket's answer to the Coliseum. It first hosted a Test back in the days of India's cricketing infancy, with Douglas Jardine's team easing to victory inside four days in 1934. Since then, it has become something of a place of pilgrimage for most international cricketers, a chance to strut their stuff in front of the most passionate and vocal crowd in the game. At times though, the fervour has spilled into excess, with riots disrupting matches against the West Indies (1966-67) and Australia (1969-70), and a shameful exhibition of boorishness causing the World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka (1996) to be called off with the visitors on the threshold of victory.

There have been other, better, times too when the verve and energy of the crowd has made it a twelfth man of sorts and stirred India's finest to great feats, none more so than that hallowed day in March 2001 when VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid set the stage for the greatest come-from-behind victory of modern times, against an Australian team poised for an unprecedented 17th straight Test win. Despite packing in 90,000 on red-letter days, it hasn't been a lucky charm for India until recently, when the spin wiles of Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble inspired famous victories against Australia and Pakistan.

The ground underwent renovation ahead of the 2011 World Cup, during which it was slated to host four group-stage matches, including one between India and England on February 27. However, on January 27, the ICC announced the India v England game would be shifted out of Eden Gardens as they felt the ground would not be ready in time.
(Dileep Premachandran)

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Latest Articles

• Does Kolkata still love Test cricket? (Nov 28, 2011)
• Emptiness in Eden (Oct 26, 2011)
• Eden Gardens to host three internationals in 2011-12 (Jun 18, 2011)
• Eden Gardens ready for World Cup (Mar 14, 2011)
• Eden Gardens retires from international cricket (Feb 22, 2011)

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Latest Photos

Oct 26, 2011

The match was played against a backdrop of empty seats
© Getty Images

Feb 9, 2011

An aerial view of the Eden Gardens at its current state of completion
©

Feb 7, 2011

Eden Gardens may still host three World Cup matches
© Associated Press

Feb 7, 2011

Eden Gardens awaits an inspection to determine if it will host three non-India World Cup matches
© AFP

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