Published On:Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Posted by devil
Kolkata in '199' frenzy as 'God' Tendulkar comes to Eden
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Kolkata, it appears, cannot see beyond '199'. That many kilograms of rose petals will be showered on Sachin Tendulkar; as many bunches of night lanterns will float in the air and a grand memento of 199 golden leaves on a silver banyan tree awaits him. When the maestro arrived here on Monday for his penultimate Test match, he got a bouquet of 199 roses.
With just two days to go for the start of the special Test, it seems the entire city wants to be part of the 'Sachin salute' even as the Cricket Board of Bengal plans to make each day of the match special.
If '199' is the most-quoted number around Sachin mania, there were certainly many more cameras focused on the Little Master when the Indian team walked into the Eden Gardens for nets late Monday morning. Sachin, who was first off the bus, was greeted by 24 confetti bursts to mark his 24-year career, rose petals and the hand-clapping of boys who had lined up from the main gate to the dressing-room gate and had Sachin's photos embossed in the front of their T-shirts and '199th Test match of Little Master' at the back.
The batting legend later came out of the dressing room to show appreciation — but not before he was done with the day's business.
With songs on Sachin filling the air, the team trouped past the bigger-than-life wax statue of Sachin placed near the entrance to the dressing rooms — only Virat Kohli pausing to slip his shades down a little and peer impishly at his 'teammate' — with the media waiting for Little Master to come back and provide that photo-op. They would have to come back after more than two hours as the little big man showed where his priority lay.
Sachin, for whom the distraction presented by a doting city and CAB over the next six days may well be as big a hurdle as the West Indian bowlers during the Test, obliged only after the practice session. He greeted sculptor Susanta Ra, before posing with the statue as flashbulbs exploded.
At practice, he began by bowling both spin and seam-up before dividing time between the spinners and the pacers in the nets with the bat. Time done in the nets, he kept his pads on for another hour or so. Was he looking to slip in another stint with the bat, or was he just getting the 'feel' for a long stay in the middle? Many wondered.
There was, however, no missing that Sachin, who has come here riding a match-winning innings of 79 for Mumbai on a lively Lahli wicket in Haryana, was already laying the foundation for a big one in his last Test among the adoring Eden Gardens fans. That would be the perfect ending to the script.
Elsewhere in the city, the carnival began on Sunday when a tableau bearing the life-size cardboard cutouts of Tendulkar and festooned with lights, was flagged off from the Eden Gardens with a message board for fans.
The Bengal government plans to set up 200 giant screens across the state to enable fans to watch the India-West Indies Test match. Such giant screens are also planned to be put up at shopping malls like South City and other popular spots in Kolkata.
As many as 20 billboards across the sprawling state capital have gone up displaying praises showered on him by cricketing legends like Don Bradman, Viv Richards, Kapil Dev and Barry Richards.
Thousands of his ardent admirers have grabbed match tickets that have become a collector's items with sketches and photos of Tendulkar printed on tickets for each of the days.
"Booked my ticket for the God's 199th Test. Master here I come to bid u a grand farewell for one last time," said Gourav Chakraborty, a banking official after booking his tickets.
While the city decks up to welcome the cricketing hero, lavish farewell gifts and occasions are in order for Tendulkar.
A one-of-a-kind silver banyan tree would be presented to him by the CAB, while "good friend" and renowned painter Sanatan Dinda is waiting to hand over a painting to Tendulkar, who is known to collect art.
The landmark 128-year-old sweet shop, Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick in south Kolkata, is gearing up to give a sweet send-off to the cricketing genius with a five-pound (roughly 2.3kg) sandesh-cake that depicts Tendulkar holding a bat.
An exhibition of 100 photos will showcase the maestro's mountainous achievements. A gold coin with Tendulkar's photo would be unveiled November 5, and later used for the toss.
Meanwhile, local hosts CAB have said that each day of the Test will see different forms of celebrations to make the master's swansong appearance at the hallowed stadium an "affair to remember".
On day one, the master batsman will be greeted by the expected full house of 65,000 wearing his mask. The next day, spectators will be given placards to welcome the genius.
As many as 199 bunches of night lanterns will float in the air to greet the batting great on day three. A book on Tendulkar containing write-ups from eminent persons will be released on day four. And, as a grand farewell on the final day, 199kg of rose petals will be showered from three two-seater aircrafts after the end of the match.
Compositions from the album 'We Miss You Sachin' by city-based artist Piloo Bhattacharya will be played at Eden during the match.
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