One step forward, two steps back. Two steps forward, one step back.... Footwork of a different kind marked the return of Sourav Ganguly the para bhashan dancer, on an evening that saw Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team being booted out of the Champions Trophy.

The former Team India captain, enjoying his first Puja post-retirement, danced without a care in the world and even drummed up a festive beat after years before the idol left the Barisha Players Corner pandal, bordering the Ganguly home, for Babughat on Wednesday evening.

“I have been in Calcutta off and on during Puja since the start of my Test career in 1996. This time I was able to spend a lot more time at the mandap,” he told Metro, before lamenting, “Kintu Puja toh shesh!”

But not before Behala’s favourite boy could dance and drum away to his heart’s delight. Around the time when Dhoni was putting up a brave face — and saying “hope makes the world go round” at the toss against West Indies on Team India’s last day in South Africa — his predecessor was happy playing skipper on the last day of his para puja.

From adjusting the angle of the light atop the truck carrying the idol to placing sets of dhakis between the decorative light-carrying vans to deciding when it was time for the immersion procession to start, there was no doubt who was the captain at the Barisha Players Corner.

This was a big festival for the 39-year-old “small puja” — Sourav’s definition — as it marked the homecoming of India’s most successful Indian captain. “Maharaj was involved in every aspect of the puja this time,” smiled an organiser. And Sourav had saved the best for last.

Initially reluctant to respond to the farewell beat — “ora bajak na, aami achhi toh (let them play, I am here)”, he said — the rhythm soon got Sourav when elder brother Snehasish turned dhaki. A boyish smile spread across Sourav’s face and his dancing feet hit the street. Once he got into the groove, there was no stopping the man who had once cut a sorry figure trying to match steps with a certain Hrithik Roshan in a bike ad.

On the streets of Behala, with the dhakis drumming up a heady beat and the simple bhashan steps flowing from memory — “he used to dance with us every time during bhashan before cricket took him away”, said para folk — Sourav even dragged others on to the dance floor (“aye Mamu aye”, he was heard urging maternal uncle Sanjay Chatterjee), much to the amusement of wife Dona and daughter Sana.

“He is really enjoying himself today. It is wonderful to see him dancing and letting go like this,” smiled Dona.