Calcutta: Jonty Rhodes couldn?t believe his eyes when he saw no more than 30,000 at the Eden Gardens on the second day of the second and final Test.

One of the all-time great fielders the game has produced, Rhodes has never played a Test match at the Eden, but he has witnessed the passion and craze first-hand in a one-day International. ?I have seen a packed Eden during the Hero Cup in 1993, but today?? his voice trailed off in obvious disappointment.

Rhodes, on a three-day trip to this country for the promotion of a multinational, was at the ground to see his teammates fight it out against Sourav Ganguly?s Team India.

He felt the absence of Herschelle Gibbs was to the Indians? benefit. ?Gibbs is a superb opener and a fantastic fielder? His absence has put the Indians in an advantageous position in the series,? Rhodes said.

Gibbs opted out of the tour as he did not want to face any possible interrogation from the Delhi police regarding the match-fixing scandal which surfaced during South Africa?s tour of 2000.

On his favourite subject, fielding, Rhodes is of the opinion that one can?t become a great fielder if he doesn?t have a passion for fielding. ?Only if you love to move around in the field always can you think of becoming a very good fielder,? Rhodes remarked.

Rhodes, presently employed with the Standard Bank, is quite enjoying a banker?s job since quitting the game.

Of course, he is in touch with cricket too. The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) uses his services as a part-time fielding consultant at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.