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 9:00am (0330 GMT) 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 4:00 pm  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 11:00 am. The second session will be followed by a 40-minute "lunch" break at 1:20 pm.

"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 4:00 pm 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  Friday at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.