An absorbing contest. A wave of nostalgia. Love and longing for a legend. And the stubborn eyesores that refuse to leave. As Test cricket returned to Eden Gardens after six years, the stadium turned into a vivid montage of moods.

Australians Rachel Cappeau and her son Jayden were among the early spectators on Day 1. On the final leg of their India trip, they landed in Calcutta on Friday morning and took a cab straight to Eden. After the day’s play, they planned to dash back to the airport for a 9pm flight to Delhi.

“We came just for this experience,” said Jayden, 22, who has played district-level cricket in Perth, where the family lives. “The first impression of Eden is impressive. But I had assumed the ground would be bigger.”

He added: “This is going to be an absorbing contest with two good teams locking horns.”

Boom Boom

Every time Jasprit Bumrah was positioned near the boundary ropes, the decibel level behind the fence swelled. The champion pacer delivered a menacing five-wicket haul that was instrumental in bundling South Africa — the reigning Test world champions — for 159 in their first innings.

Midway through the second session, when Bumrah took position at deep mid-wicket, the gallery erupted in a collective roar: Boom Boom Boomrah.

“He is the best. Period,” said Somdev Kundu, 41, from Salt Lake, a regular at Eden.

“The pitch is tricky. South Africa are not Test champions for nothing. They have a disciplined bowling attack. India will have to bat well. I am looking at a great Test match,” he said.

He wasn’t far off. In the 20-odd overs of their first innings, India batted with extreme caution, inching to 37 for 1 and losing opener Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Top draw

One in every three Indian shirts in the stands bore the name Virat Kohli. He may have retired from Tests, but his hold over the crowd remains unmatched.

Among the sea of Kohli shirts was a group of five — and a half. The “half” was Krishiv Mishra, barely a year old, carried by parents Keshav and Swati. She was the only one not in a Kohli jersey. Keshav’s friends, who grew up together in Howrah’s Belur but now live across the country, had reunited at Eden. Their shared bond: their loyalty to Kohli.

Keshav flew in from Mumbai, where he works in telecom, just to watch the Test. “Virat brought a new approach to Tests. He went for results. I hope the new team maintains that approach. Otherwise, the format can be boring,” he said.

Satyansh Dubey, a BTech student at a private college in Anandapur, nodded in approval. Pointing to a few empty seats, he said: “Had Virat played, even these would have been full.”

Looking back

For older Test fans, Eden always pulls up memories.

“I first came here in 1974,” said Nishit Ghosh, 61, who travelled from Bangur Avenue with his son, Souradeep. “I still remember Viswanath’s century against the mighty West Indies led by Clive Lloyd. Chandrasekhar and Bedi spun India to victory.”

Sore sights

Some things at Eden, however, never change. The washrooms, soiled and stained, turned ugly well before the third session. Several toilets and basins were clogged. Sweepers were on the move outside the washrooms, but too few to keep pace. Waste bins dotted the corners, yet most facilities looked a sorry sight.

A familiar pain at Eden — one as enduring as its magic.