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Tea break before lunch interval: Why the India vs South Africa Test in Guwahati will upend historic tradition
Barsapara Stadium is set to host its inaugural Test match on November 22, as India face South Africa.
In a first for Test cricket, the second game of the upcoming two-match series between India and South Africa, which will be held in Guwahati next month, is set to turn an age-old tradition on its head. For over a century, day matches in Test cricket have followed the sequence of toss, play, lunch, and then tea. However, at the Barsapara stadium, which will hold its first-ever Test match, starting November 22, tea will be served before lunch.
According to a report in the Indian Express, the Guwahati Test match will witness a change in tradition due to early sunrise and sunset in India’s northeast. Hence, the first session at the venue will be between 9:00 and 11:00 AM, followed by a Tea break from 11:00 to 11:20 AM. The afternoon session will be played from 11:20 AM to 1:20 PM, before the players break for lunch, which will take place between 1:20 PM and 2 PM. The final session of the day will be played between 2:00 and 4:00 PM.
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“The reason to have early tea is because Guwahati witnesses early sunset and there is early start too. This will be the first time we have decided to change the Tea session as time will be saved to get extra game time on the field,” a source in the board told the national daily.
Traditionally, Test matches in India start at 9:30 AM, followed by a 40-minute lunch break from 11:30 AM to 12:10 PM, after which the second session begins. Teams then take a 20-minute tea break from 2:10 to 2:30 PM before resuming play for the final session from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. Match officials can extend play by up to 30 minutes to ensure 90 overs are bowled per day. While start times vary by country, such as in England, Tests begin at 11 AM due to the longer summer days; most teams adhere to the traditional lunch-tea schedule.
The BCCI and Cricket South Africa decided to change the session timings. In fact, the Indian board has followed the same system even for Ranji Trophy matches in Guwahati.
