It was as far back as 1974 that I was invited by a friend to watch a long running musical ‘Oh! Calcutta’ at the Duchess Theatre in London. By the end of the revue I was not really convinced about its plot or the meaning it conveyed. The music by one Peter Schickele no doubt was riveting, the choreography eye-catching and the stark nudity of its actors mind blowing.

The play did however last 3,900 performances after being cleared of obscenity and nudity by the Crown Prosecution services.

But compared to that Calcutta itself which I visited for the first time in 1979-80 for the India-Pakistan Test was revelation of a kind that was stunningly pleasant and fulfilling. The City of Joy as it has always been known took to me like a duck to the water.

It looked so familiar, intensely vibrant and friendly with the teeming millions moving from direction to the other for their day to day pursuits that it immediately caught my sensibilities and the stories that I would hear from my school days from people who have been there.

The exclusive Calcutta Club, the Victoria Memorial building which are masterpiece of architecture of the Colonial time reminding us all of the East India Company which infiltrated to later develop India into the centre of the British Raj, was all right in front of me as I headed towards the Eden Gardens in the distance and across the vast maidaan (savannah) for the Test between India and Pakistan.

Passing through the Mohammadan Sporting and Mohan Bagan football club next to the ground itself, a sea of people moved on in a disciplined manner to watch the cricket action.

By the time I entered, the ground was near packed to its capacity of 100,000. I had never seen such gathering of people in a ground before. Cheering and shouting all the way from start to the end of that game’s which ended in a draw. Asif Iqbal the Pakistan captain then walked off after being run out in his final Test innings to a standing ovation.

The aura that makes Eden Gardens, is a thing to be experienced first hand. Except for the MCG in Melbourne, no other venue in the world gives one such thrill and joy as the Eden Gardens which was established in 1864 with the first Test played there in 1934 and the first ODI in 1987.

I also recall a most thrilling ODI at Eden too that was played between India and Pakistan in which nearly 96,000 watched India thrashed by Saleem Malik’s power hitting and driving. Chasing 239 in 40 overs Pakistan were 161 for 5 with no chance of victory left and 78 still needed when Malik like a man possessed entered to hit 11 fours and a six for his 72 to stun the massive crowd.

The 1987 ICC World Cup final was another sensational experience of being there. Australia beat England then by 7 runs to win a nail-biter. England were sailing along at 131 in 31 overs before the England captain reverse sweeped Allan Border’s first delivery to be caught by the keeper and let Australia take control and win the Cup.

Now Kolkata, the city continues to flourish and expand, boasts an underground network of train besides the old tramway that transports passengers from one corner to another in this hustling and bustling city.

Like at the Eden Gardens, the maidaan itself is a centre of all activity. The 130 years old sweet shop of T.K.Das attracts a hoard of people to taste mouth-watering creations like the Rosho Gulla (Rus Gulla) and Jalebi.

On my last visit to Kolkata in the 1999 Test series involving India and Pakistan, things had changed a bit capacity wise at the ground. It was reduced to 90,000 and then to 65,000 but the interest never ceases. The cricket mad people continue to throng whenever a match is held here.

Pakistan, having won a Test at Chennai then, lost the one at Delhi when Anil Kumble took all 10 wickets in an innings for 76 to win a Test for India before I arrived in Kolkata again for the first Asian Test Championship match which was originally a part of the Test series itself.

That tour was controversial for the fact that Shiv Sena had threatened disruption if Pakistan came to India. However, Pakistan did go ahead with the visit following assurances from Mr Vajpayee - the then prime minister of India.

At the Eden Gardens Test, Sachin Tendulkar was controversially run out while regaining his crease. Shoiab Akhtar the bowler was accused for obstructing him but the batsman was given out which sparked a riot in the stands. A glorious 188 by Saeed Anwar in the match had made Pakistan stronger to win as India went on sliding till the end of the fourth day, requiring 65 more to win with only four wickets left.

A victory in sight for Pakistan on the final morning, the 65,000 people present in the stands could not take it any more as they burnt newspapers and threw rubbish in the stands in the hope to have the match abandoned. Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar had taken three wickets between them on that last morning with only one wickets left to win.

Match referee Clive Lloyd, however, would not have it crowd’s way and ordered the organizers to vacate the stadium and let the match go on. It took three hours before the mach could restart and it required only ten more balls for Pakistan to win it, in front of empty stands.

Almost 465,000 people watched that Test in four and a half days, a record attendance by all counts.

Pakistan has never lost at Eden and with a bit of push and thrust they may come out unbeaten again on this venue today.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2016