Brian Lara versus Sachin Tendulkar. Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar. Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. From fierce rivals on the field to face-off partners in any debate about batting greats of our times, to friends backing each other up. The Calypso king flew into Calcutta on Saturday to watch the Master Blaster play his 199th Test match but sadly by then the Eden match was done and dusted.

Late on Saturday, the southpaw decided to try out a different pitch — Shisha Reincarnated. Arriving just after midnight, Lara was clearly in the mood to lounge. Putting his feet up, he asked for a drink and enjoyed the pumping beats. His poison was vodka mixed with Red Bull and his munch was a bowl of peanuts.

The cricketer in him could not resist a look at the plasma TV replaying an old Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand even as his feet tapped to Badtameez dil. By then requests for autographs and photographs started trickling in. Before the clock struck 1 and it was time to leave, he chatted with t2…

The first thing that comes to mind when you are in Calcutta…

Eden Gardens. (Grins) It is one of the biggest grounds in the world. I have never played a Test here. It is one of my biggest sorrows.

On Sachin Tendulkar…

I am disappointed because I have reached Calcutta late. My boys (West Indies cricket team) let me down. I will now catch Sachin play his last Test in Mumbai.

On Bengali women…

All women look so good (smiles).

What are you reading?

The Blind Side.

The last film you saw…

2 Guns. My favourite film is The Shawshank Redemption.

What are you listening to?

I listen to all kinds of music (smiles).

Ratnalekha Mazumdar

... and on sunday he took the party to dublin

Brian and the beauties: Brian Lara caught his second fashion show in two days at ITC Sonar on Sunday night. If it was Pankaj & Nidhi on Saturday, the legendary batsman caught Tarun Tahiliani’s Kumbh-inspired range on Sunday. As the clock struck midnight, Lara climbed down to Dublin and spent more than an hour there. The Sen sisters — Raima and Riya — were within whispering distance, but...

Thalaiva: A little later Lara got groovy (in picture with Gameplan Sports’s Rwittika Khatua). He even shook a leg to Lungi dance!

What would you tell Lara if you met him?Tell t2@abp.in
Pictures: Anindya Shankar Ray & Rashbehari Das