The second Test between India and South Africa will mark the beginning of Test cricket at a new venue. This time, Guwahati will host the second Test. This will be the first Test match at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, which recently hosted matches in the Women’s Cricket World Cup.
The test will start half an hour earlier than usual
This Test match, taking place in India’s northeastern region, will feature a slightly different format. Even the start and end times will be different. Typically, Test matches in India begin at 9:30 AM local time, with the day’s play ending around 4:30 PM.
This is the reason for the match starting early
Since Assam receives sunlight earlier in the morning than the central and western parts of the country, evenings also arrive earlier. Consequently, the Guwahati Test match will begin at 9:00 AM, with the toss taking place at 8:30 AM. In the rest of India, the toss takes place at 9:00 AM, with the start of play at 9:30 AM.
This match will also see a reversal in terms of sessions. Typically, in daytime Test matches, teams go to lunch after the first two hours of play in the morning, and then take a tea break after the afternoon session. However, since this Test match will begin at 9 am, the organizers feel that the 11 am lunch break is too early. Therefore, they have decided to have the first break for tea and the second for lunch.
The first session for this Test match is scheduled from 9 am to 11 am. There will be a 20-minute tea break, and play will resume at 11:20 am. The second session will run from 11:20 am to 1:20 pm, where the umpires will declare lunch. The third and final session will then be played from 2 pm to 4 pm. Depending on match needs, play may be extended for another 30 minutes after 4 pm.
According to a report by cricket website ESPN Cricinfo, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, commenting on the timing of the match, said, “This is a practical decision. Sunrise and sunset happen very early in the winter here in Northeast India. After 4 p.m., the light starts to fade, and you can’t play much after that. That’s why we’ve decided on an early start here, so the game will begin at 9 p.m.”.