Fill up Eden at Sachin's penultimate Test, appeals Ganguly

Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS) Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly Tuesday appealed to the city’s cricket buffs to fill up Eden Gardens during the Nov 6-10 Test match against the West Indies to give a befitting farewell to Sachin Tendulkar, who would be playing the penultimate game of his glittering career.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India earlier in the day announced that Mumbai‘s Wankhede Stadium would host the 200th and swansgong test match of Tendulkar’s career Nov 14-18. Eden Gardens would host Tendulkar’s 199th Test match.

“I appeal to the cricket aficionados of Kolkata to fill up Eden. Not a single seat should be empty. We must give Sachin a grand felicitation,” said Ganguly, who shared the Indian dressing room for one and half decades with the Mumbaikar.

Expressing happiness at Eden getting to host the match, Ganguly said “it is a great feeling. It will enthuse local youngsters who can see him in action for India for the last time”.

However, Ganguly felt with emotion likely to run high among the people, the two Test matches would be a tough task for Tendulkar.

“It will not be easy to play in such an emotion-surcharged atmosphere. He has to concentrate leaving aside everything else. I hope he will be among runs,” he said.