Eden Gardens, the heritage cricket venue, celebrates 150 years of uninterrupted cricket in 2014. On an autumn morn in 1864, the pioneers of Calcutta Cricket Club first pitched wickets on this sacred plot of land. Since then Eden has witnessed, over the seasons, prominent performers duelling in splendour, with no quarters asked for, certainly none given.

The knowledgeable Eden Gardens crowd has worked its charms on players from all over the world. No other cricket venue can quite match its unique ambience. Where else would one find 90,000 emotionally-charged spectators in perpetual love-hate relationship with the players?

The story of Eden Gardens has been covered by a person whose active involvement with Eden goes back 50 years. As a humble cricket-bag bearer, scorer, player, captain, coach, author, analyst, talent-spotter, commentator and international cricket referee, the author Raju Mukherji has revealed every aspect of cricket without fear or favour.

The emphasis is not only on international cricketers. Far from it. Even the humblest of cricketers has been given his due respect for being a passionate lover of cricket. The racy style and about 170 rare photographs highlight the cricket environment of the sub-continent.

Within the covers, the cricket lover would find his own story. His ambitions, his frustrations, his achievements and his contributions are all encapsulated in the saga of Eden Gardens. To the author, the cricket lover is the true hero of this noble sport.