The India-South Africa Test match at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati will feature a modified schedule with the lunch and tea breaks reversed. This change results from Guwahati’s location in the far eastern part of India, which results in earlier sunrises and sunsets compared to other locations. As a result, the match will start at 9:00 AM each day, instead of the usual 9:30 AM start time for Test matches in India.
Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium will host a Test match for the first time. Second Test of the two-match serieswhich begins in Kolkata, is being played in Guwahati from November 22.
According to The Indian Express, the officials adjusted the timing to ensure that the maximum number of overs could be bowled before sunset. The first session will run from 9:00am to 11:00am, followed by a tea break from 11:00am to 11:20am. The second part will take place from 11:20 a.m. to 1:20 p.m., then lunch is scheduled from 1:20 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. The finals will continue from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM and conclude the day’s play.
Test matches in India traditionally start with a lunch break as the first interval, followed by tea. However, the Guwahati Test will reverse this sequence to make the most of the available daylight and reduce the risk of losing playing time due to early sunset.
“The reason for having morning tea is that Guwahati witnesses early sunsets and also an early start. This will be the first time we have decided to change the tea session as it will save time to get more playing time on the field,” a board official told the daily.
Guwahati experiences earlier sunsets than most parts of India because it lies in the far eastern part of the country, around 90°E longitude. The sun is about an hour ahead of the Indian Standard Time meridian (82.5°E), so it rises and sets earlier there, even though the entire country follows a single time zone.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier introduced similar timing adjustments for Ranji Trophy matches in East India to account for the early sunsets. Such measures have been taken in the past to deal with the challenges posed by the region’s daylight regime.
Guwahati has emerged as one of the key centers of cricket in India. The Barsapara Stadium has previously hosted the opening match of the Women’s World Cup and the semi-final between England and South Africa.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
October 30, 2025
