Eden Gardens Will Be Hosting India's First Ever Day-Night Test. Here's What You Should Know About This Iconic Venue

When India and Bangladesh walk out onto the field for the 2nd Test on November 22, it shall be history in the making. Why? Because it shall be the first time that India will be playing in a Day-Night Test, for that matter Bangladesh as well, but what will really be history is that this will be the first Day-Night Test on Indian soil.

And what better venue to host it than the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Make no mistake, this historical stadium is right up there with the likes of Lord's and the MCG. It is more than a stadium, it is an emotion. Ask anyone who has played there, Indian or not, they have experienced the thrill of it. The crowds are known to get behind the home side in India, but at Eden it appears the fans are playing the game as well. Be it their joy, anger or sadness, they live every emotion.

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Eden Gardens was established in 1864. It is by far the oldest cricket ground in the country. One must remember Kolkata, then Calcutta, was the capital of India at that time. So making a cricket stadium by the colonisers who brought the game to us, was pretty much expected.

Until 1987 it had a capacity of 40,000. That went up to over 100,000 till 2011 and after renovation it currently holds 68,000. The stadium has held a World Cup final in 1987 and a World T20 final in 2016.

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Some epic games have been played here. India's famous 2001 win over Australia after being asked to follow on was clearly the best game in the venue's history. Not to mention Sachin Tendulkar's epic last over vs South Africa in the 1993 Hero Cup semifinal where he gave away just 3 runs to help us win the game.

Of course there is also the Eden Hall of Shame. In 1967 the crowd went mad when the police beat up some fans and the game had to be stopped. West Indies players were seen running for their lives on the street of the city, not something you see everyday. It does not end there. In 1996 as India capitulated to the Lankans from 98/1 to 120/8 in the World Cup semis, the crowd began to burn sections of the stadium. The match was abandoned and awarded to Sri Lanka. Next up was 1999. Sachin Tendulkar collided with Shoaib Akhtar and was run out. The crowd were not happy and started hurling objects at the Pakistani fielders. Sachin had to come out and calm them down, but their rage was beyond reason. Ultimately, the stadium was emptied and the match completed, which we lost of course, in front of empty stands.

But all this aside, it is a great place to play cricket. The best and worst in many ways. They have also been known to embrace foreign players and treat them like their own. Clive Lloyd's West Indies side of the 1970s felt it was like a home away from home.

So where does the name originate from? Well, one of Kolkata's oldest parks is called Eden Gardens and is next to the stadium, made in 1841. It was named after Eden, the sister of Lord Auckland, the then Governor-General of India. The park's original name was Auckland Circus Gardens, but it was changed inspired by the Garden of Eden from the Bible.

The first ever Test was played between India and England in 1934. India and Pakistan contested the first ODI in 1987 followed by the first T20I between the hosts and England in 2011. The Hero Cup semifinal in 1993 was the first Day/Night game.

It has been renovated twice and has stands named after Sourav Ganguly and Pankaj Roy.

There is history and a presence of nostalgia in venue. It is the ideal setting for such a historic occasion. So the clock is ticking as we wind down to November 22.