India-South Africa Guwahati Test to feature rare ‘tea before lunch’

The upcoming Test match between India and South Africa, scheduled to begin on November 22 in Guwahati, will feature an unusual arrangement — the tea break will be taken before the lunch interval.

According to a report by The Indian Express, play at the Guwahati Test will start half an hour earlier than usual, at 9am local time, and continue until 4pm. The early start is due to Guwahati’s geographical position near India’s easternmost point, where daylight begins much earlier.

Under the proposed schedule, the first session will run from 9am to 11am, followed by a 20-minute tea break. The second session will be played from 11:20am to 1:20pm, followed by a 40-minute lunch interval. The final session will take place from 2pm to 4pm, with a possible extension until 4:30pm if required.

The unusual timing has raised curiosity among cricket followers, as traditionally the lunch interval precedes the tea break in Test matches. However, the ICC’s Test Match Playing Conditions (updated June 2025) do not restrict the sequence of the two intervals.

Section 11.2.1.3 of the rules allows home boards, with ICC approval and the visiting team’s consent, to adjust the duration and order of the breaks as long as their combined total remains 60 minutes.

This will be Guwahati’s first-ever Test match and the second of the two-match series, with the first to be held in Kolkata from November 10.