A solitary black bag outside gate No. 4A of Eden Gardens caused a greater flutter than all that the Pakistani bowlers hurled at the Indian batsmen throughout Friday.

Around 8.30am, a few spectators entering the stadium spotted an abandoned black bag and raised an alarm. It proved to be a false alarm, as the black bag contained an empty tiffin-box.

“The bag lay just beyond the barricade, yards from the Club House,” said a senior officer. The area was cordoned off and sniffer dogs were pressed into action.

Officers from the bomb disposal squad opened the bag and found the tiffin-box.

Bhaichung barred: A surprise victim of the security ring around Eden Gardens was Mohun Bagan captain Bhaichung Bhutia. The soccer star was not allowed to reach the club grounds for a practice session after cops stopped his car on Kingsway. “The car did not have the requisite green sticker,” said an officer.