Test cricket’s maiden arrival in the Northeast, with the second India-South Africa contest at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati starting on Saturday, tags along a few quirks and potentially disconcerting tweaks.

Due to the location of the country’s 30th Test venue and its unique relationship with India’s single time zone, players will have to be up and about earlier than is routine elsewhere in the country and the world. The alarm clocks can wind backwards and the dietary intakes need to be re-calibrated for this particular occasion.

The nip in the air could also offer a snag or two, neutralising the home team’s supposed familiarity with the conditions, just like an undercooked wicket did in Kolkata .

The first delivery is scheduled to land within a minute past 9 am. Overriding red-ball Tes

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