In a historic first in 148 years of Test cricket, the second India–South Africa Test at Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Barsapara, will see players take the tea break before lunch, flipping the traditional order that has defined the game since its inception in 1877. The unprecedented schedule change, implemented on November 22, 2025, for the ongoing day test, stems from Guwahati’s unique geographical position in India’s far east, where the sun rises and sets significantly earlier than in the country’s central and western regions despite following the same Indian Standard Time (82.5°E). With daylight fading rapidly by late afternoon, authorities prioritised maximising playable hours to avoid frequent bad-light stoppages.

To counter the early sunset—often feeling like dusk by 4:30 p.m.—the BCCI and Cricket South Africa mutually agreed to start play at 9:00 a.m., thirty minutes earlier than the standard Indian Test start, and to conclude by 4:00 p.m. (extendable to 4:30 p.m.). The revised daily timetable is first session 9:00–11:00 a.m., tea 11:00–11:20 a.m., second session 11:20 a.m.–1:20 p.m., lunch 1:20–2:00 p.m., and third session 2:00–4:00 p.m. This arrangement ensures an additional usable hour in the afternoon when light remains strongest, protecting the mandatory 90 overs without compromising player welfare.

The switch is permissible under ICC test playing conditions, which mandate only the duration of breaks—40 minutes for lunch and 20 minutes for tea—while allowing home boards, with visiting team and ICC consent, flexibility in sequencing as long as total interval time remains one hour. Although day-night tests have previously featured tea before a longer dinner break under lights, this marks the first instance of the reversal in a traditional day test, driven by natural light rather than floodlights. A senior BCCI official confirmed the adjustment was specifically designed “to deal with early sunset and create extra usable game time in the afternoon.”

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Players have responded with a mix of humour and pragmatism. Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sai Sudharsan quipped that he “already drinks tea during lunch,” while South African spinner Keshav Maharaj acknowledged the necessity to “maximise playing time in tricky light.” Opener Aiden Markram admitted personal discomfort with the change but accepted the need to adapt. The innovative scheduling underscores the challenges of hosting international cricket across India’s vast single time zone and sets a potential precedent for future matches in the Northeast, ensuring the longest format retains its full quota of play even in regions where the sun dictates a different rhythm.

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