BCCI President Mithun Manhas, Devajit Saikia ring bell, present commemorative coins to mark inaugural Guwahati Test – Watch | Cricket News
Guwahati made its much-awaited Test debut on Saturday as the Barsapara Stadium hosted its first-ever red-ball international match, becoming India’s 30th Test venue. The historic moment was officially opened in a ceremonial manner, with BCCI President Mithun Manhas and BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia ringing the bell to signal the start of the first day’s match. Before the toss, Saikia also presented the two captains – Indian skipper Rishabh Pant and South Africa’s Temba Bavuma – with commemorative gold-plated coins created especially for the inaugural Test in the city. Pant and Bavuma later signed a commemorative portrait at the ACA Stadium, adding another symbolic touch to the historic event.Click here to watch: BCCI President Mithun Manhas and BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia ring the bell On the field, Bavuma won the toss and elected to bat, calling it a proud moment for Guwahati to participate in Test cricket. India, trailing 1-0 in the two-match series and desperate to avoid back-to-back series defeats at home, made two changes. Shubman Gill missed his chance due to 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 honor and stressed the need for discipline and teamwork. The match also comes with a unique program designed for the North East’s early morning sunset. Play begins at 9:00 AM IST and can even start at 8:30 AM IST if extra overs are required. In an unprecedented move for a testing day, officials positioned the tea break before lunch to ensure maximum use of daylight. The first session runs until 11:00 a.m., followed by a tea break, then a second session until 1:20 p.m. Then comes lunch and the final session continues from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., extendable by half an hour. As Guwahati experiences sunset around 4.30pm this week, the scheduling experiment marks a rare change in 148 years of Test cricket.
