Guwahati makes history: tea before lunch in a first for 138 years of Test cricket

Guwahati: The second Test match being played between India and South Africa at the Barsapara Stadium is creating history not only on the field but also in the schedule. For the first time in the 138-year journey of Test cricket, there will be a tea break before the lunch break. BCCI has made this change keeping in mind the weather of Guwahati. The reason for this is that here sunrise occurs early and sunset occurs earlier. Due to this, darkness falls quickly in the evening. The match will start at 9am on Saturday, and there will be a reversal of the traditional break structure. 

Why did Guwahati's weather change the rules?

A traditional Test match would have a first session (9:30 AM-12:30 PM) followed by lunch, then a tea break (2:30-3:00 PM) and a final session, but in Guwahati, sunrise is at 5:30 AM and sunset is at 4:30 PM, and it gets dark early in the evening. BCCI decided to start the match at 9:00 AM and shift the tea break earlier so that more playtime would be available. The first session will be 9:00 AM-11:00 AM, with a 20-minute tea break; the second session will be 11:20 AM-1:20 PM, with a 40-minute lunch; and the last session will be 2:00 PM-4:00 PM. This is the first change in the 138-year-old format, whereas this did not happen even in Pink Ball Tests. 

Will Team India emerge under Pant's captaincy?

India is in bounce-back mode after losing by 30 runs at Eden Gardens. Shubman Gill is out with a neck injury, and Rishabh Pant will be the captain. Nitish Kumar Reddy has returned. Jaiswal, Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Jurel, Pant (Captain/WK), Jadeja, Washington, Akshar, Bumrah, Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav are playing in the team. The green pitch of Guwahati will help the fast bowlers. The Bumrah-Siraj pair can create a stir. SA's Bavuma said that our spin won Eden and here fast bowling will be the best. India must win in the race for the WTC final, and will the series be tied at 1-1 under Pant's leadership?

Big bet of the series—impact on WTC table, secret of Guwahati pitch

SA is second in WTC, and India is fourth. This test is a must-win for India. The Guwahati pitch is bowler-friendly, and there will be only 2.5 sessions instead of 3 on the first day. Will this change shorten the match? Fans are excited about whether India will level the series.