Rohit Sharma and Eden Gardens; a saga of consistency

Cinema boasts of the tales of Rose Bukater and Jack Dawson in Titanic. Literature is effused with the story between Elizabeth and Darcy, while closer to home, panning the pages of history, Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal stands strong as it professes love for Noor Jahan under the moonlight.

And then there is cricket. A game devoid of such passions, yet arousing passion amongst a nation of more than a billion. A sport where the mere willow is enough to create ripples equivalent to the ones experienced every time an Allie or a Noah from The Notebook glanced at each other with those enchanting eyes.

There has to be some spark when Virat 'Messiah' Kohli takes the field for India in almost all the matches. A deeper story seemed to exist in VVS Laxman's fancy for the Australian bowling attack. An unexplained comfort level arose when Brian Lara milked the bowling at St. Johns, Antigua.

And well, when Sachin Tendulkar faced Shoaib Akhtar, it was pure carnage. A 'love story' it has been termed. A cricketing love story.

The fifth match of the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League. Kolkata Knight Riders facing the defending champions Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The IPL,to be honest, was suffering a burnout, attributed to an overdose of cricket in the last few months.

The initial four games of the much hyped and anticipated T20 league were played in front of empty pockets. Yes, it seemed strange to witness Sunrisers Hyderabad's Ashish Nehra bowl to Royal Challengers Bangalore's Virat Kohli, when just a week ago the duo were arousing streaks of patriotism during the T20 World Cup.

One-sided encounters further crippled the intensity and it needed a game of fire and power to get the IPL back on track.

Rohit Sharma steals the show

On a batting friendly pitch, the hosts notched up a competitive 187 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of a couple of gutsy knocks from captain Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey. And then, it was time for Rohit Sharma to cast his magic over the Gardens once again. Rohit's Eden (well, much to the dismay of the staunch Sourav Ganguly supporters!) dare I say.

Going back in time, Mohammad Azharuddin, VVS Laxman, and Harbhajan Singh have all shared a bond with this iconic ground; something in the air propelled them to give their best performances whilst in the City of Joy. Rohit however, seems to transcend them all, sharing a strange, queer relationship with Eden Gardens. A relationship that dates back to 2010 and one which has survived since.

The beginning of a great story

It all goes back to the day when Rohit was demoted to Group C in the BCCI's central contracts list after a series of unimpressive performanes, in 2010. Driven by the will to prove a point and aided by three dropped catches, the Mumbaikar went on to hit his third first-class double hundred against Bengal in the Ranji Trophy encounter.

Since then, there has been no looking back. His purple patch at this ground has taken a dark violet hue, with no signs of fading.

Against West Indies in 2013, a series best remembered for Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series, Rohit stole the show, albeit a wee bit, scoring a crucial Test hundred on debut in the second innings at Kolkata. His knock of 177 is the highest by any Test debutante at the Eden Gardens.

Just a year after the record-breaking Test innings, the Indian opener, returning from injury, created and recreated records by the dozen, smashing the highest ODI score of 264 against a hapless Sri Lankan outfit. It was utter ruthlessness, a knock which ensured he became a regular for India in the LOIs. One thousand nine hundred and fifty-nine kilometers from Mumbai, Rohit had marked his territory.

A story which looks like an endless love affair

No, that is not all. The cricketer was handed over the reigns of the Mumbai Indians from Sachin Tendulkar at this venue. He has one IPL hundred (a knock of 109* in 60 deliveries against KKR), three half-centuries including a 26 ball 50 in the IPL finals in 2015, along with a score of 98* against hosts Kolkata.

Mumbai Indians have won two IPL crowns, both captained by the 28-year-old. Yes, you guessed the venue. A rhetorical guess indeed.

An unbeaten knock of 98 in the T20 World Cup warm-up match against the West Indies was followed by a surprise failure in the high-octane against Pakistan, where the player notched up only 10 runs.

Just when one gasped at the blip, making one wonder if the lines of luck had finally eloped from Eden, the batsman made a fine knock of 84 and all doubts were hushed once again.

Be it a brazen Rhett wooing a head strong Scarlett in Gone with the Wind or our very own Raj breaking down barriers to end up with Simran, the love saga of these fictitious characters have stood the test of time, providing a benchmark to the generations. Very much so, the strange, queer bond between Rohit and Eden Gardens too will be one that is remembered with amazement.

Whoever said cricket matches were only all about the willow and the cherry?