It's all for India to do after crashing to a 30-run defeat in the opening Test against South Africa in Kolkata. The surface at Eden Gardens hogged the limelight as batters from both teams struggled on an explosive pitch that had too much of variable bounce in it. The caravan moves to another city in eastern India, Guwahati, as the two teams gear up for the second Test, starting on Saturday (November 22).
There are some changes to the start time and break timings for the Guwahati Test. Test matches in India traditionally start at 9.30 am IST with the session breaks being between 11:30-12.10 and 14:10-14:30 with the final session having the extra 30 minutes extension. Therefore, stumps could be drawn by 17.00 IST latest.
That's how Guwahati looks at 4 40 pm, two days out from its opening Test. #INDvSA https://t.co/9cy9Ga2OQH pic.twitter.com/PZV6xdByuH
— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal) November 20, 2025
However, the Guwahati Test will start earlier, 30 minutes in advance, which means a start time of 9:00 am IST and there is also a major tweak to the break timings. Historically, we have a lunch break after the first session, followed by a tea break after the second session. This is the norm for red-ball games but at Guwahati, there will be a role reversal.
After the first session ends at 11 am IST, tea will be taken and the second session will start at 11.20 IST. This means that the second break will be at 13.20 IST, and it is when lunch will be taken. You'd imagine that this should have been the norm for all games but that argument is for another day.
The reason for these changes in the timings is the quickly fading light at eastern parts of India during the winter season. Natural light barely stays till 16:00 IST and by 16:30 IST, it's so dark that floodlights will be mandatory. Therefore, it would mean that the lights will have to be used for an hour at least.
This is why the BCCI made these minor tweaks to the timings prior to the start of the series. According to ICC rules, changes in playing conditions need to be made before the start of a series and requires the consent of both teams. A draw or win at Guwahati will mean a series win in India after 25 years for South Africa.
