The second Test between South Africa and India in Guwahati is facing a unique challenge: the setting sun! With Guwahati situated in the far east of India, daylight hours are significantly shorter than in other major cricket venues. This means play is racing against the clock, with the threat of poor light potentially impacting the match.
Guwahati's Geographic Challenge
Guwahati's location at 90°E longitude puts it ahead in solar time compared to the Indian Standard Time meridian. While the city follows IST, sunrise and sunset occur much earlier than in cities like Mumbai or Delhi. To combat this, match officials have made some unusual changes to the schedule.
Revised Schedule: Tea Before Lunch!
To maximize playing time, the start time has been moved forward to 9:00 am, and the traditional lunch and tea breaks have been reversed! Players will now take tea before lunch, a rare occurrence for a Test match in India. The day's play is scheduled to conclude by 4:00 pm.
The New Schedule Breakdown:
- Session 1: 9:00 am - 11:00 am
- Tea Break: 11:00 am - 11:20 am
- Session 2: 11:20 am - 1:20 pm
- Lunch Break: 1:20 pm - 2:00 pm
- Session 3: 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
This adjusted schedule aims to make the most of the available daylight and ensure a full day's play, despite the early sunset. It's a race against time for both teams as they battle for victory and the fading light. Will the Proteas overcome this unusual obstacle? Stay tuned!