Kolkata: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s eye for detail is well documented and no wonder the former captain did a have a look at the Eden Gardens strip for the first India versus Sri Lanka Test despite the fact he no longer plays the five-day format. Dhoni was in the city for a commercial shoot with another former skipper Kapil Dev.
In the morning shoot session, Dhoni was seen talking to curator Sujan Mukherrjee, checking the Eden Gardens strip. There can be no doubt that he will pass on priceless information to his successor Virat Kohli. “Dhoni really appreciated the pitch preparation and wished us the best for the Test match,” Mukherjee later said.
Dhoni and Kapil spent the whole day bowling and batting as per the shooting requirements and were joined by a host of kids.
First it was Kapil who was seen bowling to Dhoni and as the film rolled it was role reversal with the Indian wicket-keeper rolling his arms to the 1983 World Cup winning captain in the ad sequence of 33 seconds, directed by noted Bengali producer-director Arindam Sil.
Sil, who has acted in a number of feature films, telefilms and mega serials termed it a ‘lifetime experience’. “It’s (Eden Gardens) the Mecca of Cricket and I had two World Cup winning captains shooting for me. It’s the most memorable day in my life,” Sil told reporters.
“They were the best of the captains in their eras. I felt nostalgic. I have watched them play from the same galleries here but to shoot with them now at the same venue is a lifetime experience,” Sil added.
Press Trust of India
