KOLKATA: Batting on a different turf, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday appeared to be a tentative starter but displayed the same elegance of his heydays as he enthralled the physically challenged cricketers of Bangladesh and West Bengal.

After inaugurating an exhibition cricket match between physically challenged cricketers of Bengal and Bangladesh on Wednesday, Ganguly faced two overs and he was caught at the mid-on in the first over of the visiting side.

But, from there on the left-hander got his exquisite timing back as he charmed the thousand-odd school children who turned up at the Eden Gardens.

"It's a good cause to come and I am really happy to be a part of it. This is for the physically challenged, so it is really special, thanks to all the special guests who have taken their time off and come to be a part of this occasion," Ganguly said after his first-time experience.

Coach of the visiting Bangladesh XI, Mohammad Ali Haider Sheik said his team was really excited to be a part of the event billed as 'Cricket Beyond Boundaries'.

"They may not be like normal ones but they follow Indian cricket like true fans. Earlier, we had a similar experience in Delhi with former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja. They will forever cherish this memory," said Haider.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, state Sports Minister Kanti Ganguly, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Jagmohan Dalmiya watched the match.

The event was organised by West Bengal State Council of Sports in collaboration with Special Olympics and Paschim Banga Rajya Pratibandhi Sammilani, and supported by CAB.

The Teams:

Bangladesh XI: Lavel Mohammed Zaviad (c), Amit Shaha (vc), Imam Hassan, Mohammed Nayeem Hossain, Nakul Chandar Das, Haripada Das, Mohammed Ashiqui Islam Rasel, Shazadul Haque, Hameem Abdullah, Mohammed Shahidul Islam, Syed Mahmud Himel, Mohammed Ashraful Alam, Mohammad Ullash Mia, Awlad Hossain Shaheen, Amit Shaha, Shaibal Khan.

West Bengal XI: Raju Ghosh (c), Ganesh Bera, Abhisek Singh, Subhash Santra, Muktarul Haque, Pijush Srivastav, Provat Santra, Chinmoy Sarkar, Sheik Manjarul, Raja Shaw, Subrata Bhattacharya, Gautam Mohanta, Kunal Dugar, Mrityunjay Ray.