 "Aiden Markram bats during the morning session on Day 1 of the second Test between India and South Africa in Guwahati. PTI")
South Africa were off to a positive start once again after skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss for the second time in as many Tests and opted to bat once again, with Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton stitching yet another solid opening partnership.
LIVE | India vs South Africa, 2nd Test Day 1 in Guwahati
Markram and Rickelton steered South Africa to 82/1 in 26.5 overs, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah castling the former at the stroke of lunch. The openers, however, ensured the Proteas started with a bang at Guwahati’s Barsapara Stadium after going 1-0 up with a thrilling 30-run victory in the series opener at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens .
The second and final Test marks Rishabh Pant’s debut as India captain in the five-day format, the wicketkeeper-batter filling in for Shubman Gill – who has been ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a neck injury that he suffered in Kolkata.
Pant thus became only the second designated wicketkeeper to lead the side Test cricket after MS Dhoni since India first became a Test-playing nation in 1932.
Why is the tea break being taken before lunch?
The ongoing Guwahati Test meanwhile, witnessed another first on Saturday. For the first time in the 148-year history of Test cricket, the tea break was taken before the lunch interval in the five-day format.
Guwahati, which became the country’s 30th Test venue on Saturday, will be dealing with a unique challenge after all. Located in Assam in the north-eastern part of India, the city gets darker much earlier than Kolkata and other parts of the country, with the vast nation still having a single time zone.
What’s more, the Test is taking place during the onset of winter, meaning that the sun will be setting earlier than it does during summer.
With the sun setting around 4.30 pm Indian Standard Time in the Assam capital, it becomes all the more important for the match officials to ensure that stumps is called on time without losing too many overs.
Quick Reads
View AllWhile the third and final session is scheduled to close at 4 pm IST, the umpires can add another 30 minutes to ensure the minimum number of overs required in a day’s play are bowled out.
While the 40-minute lunch break is usually taken before the 20-minute tea interval in the Test format, day-night Tests witness the tea break being taken before a 40-minute ‘dinner’ break.