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The crowd that flocked into the Eden Gardens on Thursday had a hugely disappointing day out as the third and final T20 between India and South Africa was washed out without a ball being bowled. The visitors had already clinched the series heading into the match at Kolkata yesterday, having won the thrilling series opener at Dharamsala thanks to the heroics of JP Duminy followed by an outright victory at Cuttack by six wickets in a match which was marred by crowd trouble.
Despite the match being indecisive in the context, thousands of cricket crazy fans filled the iconic stadium in the hopes of witnessing a good contest. But alas, the rain gods didn’t oblige! Disappointing for the fans in the stadium no doubt, but those who were following the match (pre-match analysis, actually) on TV were in for a treat as the Indian team entertained them with a prank on one of their former teammates.
The official broadcasters of the series, Star Sports, had roped in Indian legend VVS Laxman to offer his thoughts on the match. The Hyderabad-born former cricketer had amazed the crowds with his flamboyant shots during his playing days and appearing in an equally vibrant blue shirt which had images of birds imprinted on it, he certainly managed to catch the attention of the Indian team.
Laxman’s stylish play had earned him the nickname ‘Very Very Special’ during his career and the Indian team, led by the prankster Harbhajan Singh, with the likes of Virat Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni in the background, held up a small banner with a special message.
“Laxman, we love your shirt.”
The witty display lit up what was an otherwise dull day for cricket fans and Laxman appreciated the gesture responding with his trademark shy smile. Harsha Bhogle, who was in the studio along with Laxman, echoed the thoughts of the viewers with the following post on his official Twitter account.
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