Aiden Markram of South Africa takes catch during the Day 3 of the 1st Test match between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, on November 16, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)South Africa’s Aiden Markram said that he wasn’t a fan of taking Tea before Lunch, something that will happen during the Guwahati Test, adding that hopefully it won’t become the norm. The departure from the common practice of Tea after lunch was necessitated in Guwahati to maximize the day light hours because the eastern part of the country witnesses early sunrise and sunset.
“It’s interesting. I’m not the biggest fan of it, to be honest. I think Test cricket should always start at 10 a.m. with lunch followed by tea. But those are the cards you’re dealt, and you just get on with it. It’ll be something different to experience, but hopefully, it doesn’t become a common thing,” Markram said.
“We actually heard about it (tea before lunch) recently. It’s an interesting one, but you can understand the thinking behind it. Sunlight becomes a factor, so they’re trying to maximise playing time. We respect the rules put in place, and we’re here to compete and give our best as a South African unit,” Keshav Maharaj said.
The first session of the Test at the Barsapara stadium will be from 9 am to 11 am, followed by Tea session from 11 am to 11:20 am. The second session will be played from 11:20 am to 1:20 PM. The lunch break will be from 1:20 PM to 2 PM while the third session of the play will be played from 2 PM to 4 pm.
Traditionally, the Test matches start at 9:30 am in India. A 40 minutes lunch break (11:30 to 12:10 PM) followed by resumption of second sessions. Both the teams undergo a 20 minutes tea break (2:10 PM to 2:30 PM) followed by a third session from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. The match officials can provide extra time of half an hour to allow the team to complete 90 overs per day. The game start time can vary country to country like England begins their Test match at 11 am as they have long days in their summers. However, most of the team follows the traditional lunch-tea breaks during the Test matches.
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