Early start, tea before lunch in India-South Africa second test

Play in India's second test against South Africa in Guwahati will start at 9am (5:30am CAT) because of early sunsets, with the order of the session breaks reversed, meaning tea will be before lunch.

November in the far north-eastern city of Guwahati sees dusk fall at about 4pm so play will start half an hour earlier than normal to ensure a full 90 overs before the light fades.

After the first session, there will be a 20-minute "tea" break at 11am. The second session will be followed by a 40-minute "lunch" break at 1:20pm.

"It is a practical decision," Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, told ESPNcricinfo.

"In winters, sunrise and sunset are very early here in northeast India. By 4pm the light recedes and you can't play much after. Because of that we have decided to start early."

India has just one time zone across a vast country which spans from points further east than Bangladesh to the western Arabian Sea.

Guwahati, in the state of Assam, is hosting a test for the first time beginning on November 22.

The first match of the two-test series begins on Friday at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.