Guwahati made its long-awaited Test debut on Saturday as Barsapara Stadium hosted its first-ever red-ball international, becoming India’s 30th Test venue. The landmark moment was formally opened in a ceremonial manner, with BCCI President Mithun Manhas and BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia ringing the bell to signal the start of play on Day 1.Before the toss, Saikia also presented both captains — India’s stand-in skipper Rishabh Pant and South Africa’s Temba Bavuma — with memorial gold-plated toss coins created specially for the inaugural Test in the city. Pant and Bavuma later signed a commemorative ACA Stadium portrait, adding another symbolic touch to the historic occasion.
Click here to watch: BCCI President Mithun Manhas and BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia ringing the bellOn the field, Bavuma won the toss and chose to bat, calling it a proud moment for Guwahati to enter Test cricket. India, trailing 1-0 in the two-match series and desperate to avoid back-to-back home series defeats, made two changes. Shubman Gill missed out with a neck injury, paving the way for Nitish Reddy, while Sai Sudharsan replaced Axar Patel.Pant, leading India for the first time in a Test, spoke about the honour and stressed the need for discipline and teamwork. The match also comes with a unique schedule designed for the Northeast’s early sunset. Play begins at 9:00 AM IST and may even start at 8:30 AM IST if additional overs are needed. In an unprecedented move for a day Test, officials have positioned the tea break before lunch to ensure maximum use of daylight.The first session runs till 11:00 AM, followed by a tea break, then a second session until 1:20 PM. Lunch comes next, and the final session continues from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, extendable by half an hour. With Guwahati experiencing sunset around 4:30 PM this week, the scheduling experiment marks a rare shift in 148 years of Test cricket.
