When Sourav Ganguly Finally Scored A Test Hundred On His Homeground And Eden Gardens Went Wild

Scoring a Test hundred is special, but when you do it on your homeground, the feeling is something different. Many cricketers have achieved this feat, but some have had to miss out. One player who was in danger of never doing it was none other than the Prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly.

But all that was to change in 2007. It was the year of Ganguly's comeback and he was scoring almost at will. The man was 35, in the twilight of his career which had spanned 15 years including a 4-year hiatus, but he was playing like he was in his prime. Eden Gardens always wanted a hundred from him at international level and the 2nd Test vs Pakistan was the perfect opportunity.

Reuters

Ganguly came out to bat at 313/3. This meant he was not under much pressure and ended the day on 17 not out. Day 2 saw him steadily accumulate runs. He was involved in a 62-run stand with Wasim Jaffer (202) and a 163-run alliance with VVS Laxman (112*).

He went past his 50 and was soon past 70 and into the 80s. He had never gone this far before at Eden and the crowd hoped Dada would not falter. The nervous 90s came but Ganguly slowly inched towards the coveted mark.

And then it happened! A single taken and the 100th run scored. The crowd went wild, Ganguly raised his arms with joy and the dressing room applauded. The Pakistanis too were clapping as they had seen a masterclass. More than just a hundred, it was his first at Eden. The timing was perfect too as it would turn out to be his last international appearance at home. Ganguly would retire from the game a year later.

In the next match, Ganguly hit 239 to score his maiden and only 200 in Tests. But that is a tale for another day.