Guwahati: Come November 22, Guwahati will have a date with glory. And this time around, the city aka Gateway to the Northeast will be part of an elite list.
Guwahati which has hosted 16 ODIs (14 at Nehru Stadium and 2 at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium at Barsapara), will be the venue for the second Test match between India and South Africa in the ongoing World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle.
The city’s Barsapara Cricket Stadium which will host the Test has also been the venue for 4 T2OIs and the second home ground for the Rajasthan Royals at the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Guwahati which of late, has struck the right chord with the powers that be in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has also majorly featured in the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup which saw Team India coming up trumps.
But as they say, “Test cricket is in a different league,” Guwahatians will get an opportunity to bask in laurels and quite justifiably so.
Just imagine – a chilly morning at 8.30 - Indian skipper Shubman Gill and his South African counterpart Temba Bavuma heading towards the middle for the toss amid the deafening cheer of an expectedly packed house at Barsapara.
And let us apprise you with these unique facts:
Test will be witness to probably a first – a 20-minute tea break before lunch.
The match will begin at 9 am instead of 9.30 am.
The change in the itinerary is attributed to early sunrise and sunset in the city.
The schedule goes like this – 9 am and 11 am- 20-minute tea break- lunch between 1.20 pm and 2 pm.
The final session will continue till 4 PM, with an extra half-hour if required.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia (hailing from Assam), told ESPN Cricinfo that “having lunch at 11 after the end of first session would have been too early for players, and hence the BCCI decided to tweak the session timings.”
“In winters, sunrise and sunset are very early here in north-east India. By 4pm the (day) light recedes and you can't play much after. Because of that we have decided to start early, so play will start at 9 am,” he said.
In a bid to ensure a full house, the ticket prices have been kept at a reasonable rate – Rs 50 per day for students and Rs 100 onwards for General stands.
“This is a historic occasion for Assam and for Indian cricket. We warmly invite all cricket enthusiasts to be part of this unforgettable experience,” CEO of ACA Pritam Mahanta told the media.
Sources add that the ACA has plans to organise some glittering events to mark the occasion.