Bordered on one side by vast fields upon which children play cricket and on the other by the city centre, Eden Gardens is a place where any worldly cricket fan yearns to visit.

Like Lord's and the MCG it is recognised as the premier cricket venue in the country; like the old Recreation Ground in Antigua it has history and like all three of those stadiums it has a vast tradition.

Experiencing that traditional passion is becoming increasingly tough as time wears on. The world has changed, taking on an ever faster pace in which money holds greater sway and time away from work is a luxury for cricket fans.

That, allied with a changing culture which has seen twenty20 grow, has led to declining Test crowds and so it's a rare thing to go to grounds and have the experiences of 10 or 15 years ago. Which is why it's such a pleasure to come to Eden Gardens and have 35,000 people turn out every day.

I grew up watching cricket at Harare Sports Club during Zimbabwe's best years. Just as Paul Harris talks of still being taken aback at the fact that he - a boy from Kommetjie - is bowling to Sachin Tendulkar, so I have a similar experience sitting in the press box at Eden Gardens watching a Test match. The ground has that sort of humbling effect on you.

The view from our metal box, perched bizarrely up on top of the stand, is sublime. With two areas on either side currently under renovation, the majority of the crowd is sat on the far side of the ground and there's a sweeping view of the grand old colonial buildings of Kolkata behind them.

Like so many venues around the world air-conditioned comfort has been put before atmosphere, and so the media centre is sealed from the magnificent energy outside. When time allows, a visit to the stands reveals just how traditional a crowd this is, as they applaud a good stop in the field from the opposition. The mutterings around me - at least those that I can understand - reveal a good knowledge of cricket.

Of course it's also one of the noisiest crowds in the game and generally acts as a sort of twelfth man for India. That was certainly the case in 2001 when the effect of 90,000 Bengalis took its effect on Australia, and the Proteas felt the full force on day one when 35,000 fans was enough to instill fear in the batsmen. As they set about their attempt to save the Test on Wednesday, expect the crowd to have a similar effect as India scent victory.

Kolkata itself is like a 19th century city, given the continued presence of buildings from the time when the English Raj had it as their capital. When trams rumble past my hotel I'm drawn to watch the old relics in bewilderment, even after a week to get used to them.

The lack of development in Kolkata certainly has its negative side, with poverty visibly worse than in the other big Indian cities I've visited.

But it also has its charm, and so long as the cricket tradition remains in the city, Eden Gardens will remain one of world cricket's true meccas.