Test cricket is trying to retain its top spot as T20 cricket eclipses new heights with each passing day. The shortest format holds bragging rights over the prime time slot in the evening.
And it’s obviously proving challenging for the longest format, with depleting crowds for day games. So to get a significant crowd to watch Test matches, the authorities have been organising day/night Tests at a prime time slot since 2015.
Thus far, we have been witnessing a couple of day/night Tests played with pink ball every year, especially in Australia. There’s not much difference between day Tests and day/night Tests, though the session breaks differ a bit.
So in this article, we’ll look at the session and break timings in pink-ball Test matches.
What are the session timings in day/night Test matches?
Similar to normal matches, the day/night affair also has three sessions. The session timings are also the same, with each lasting for two hours.
Unlike the day games, the pink-ball match starts in the afternoon around 2:30 PM. The first session then runs till 4:30 PM before players head out for a tea break.
After a refreshing break, the play resumes at 4:50 PM and goes on till 6:50 PM. Then follows a dinner break instead of a lunch break, which lasts longer than the tea break.
Teams then come out for the last session, which starts at 7:30 PM and runs till 9:30 PM. The session may as well get extended by 30 minutes if the minimum overs are not bowled in the day.
One thing to keep in mind is that the session times may change based on the conditions.
How long is a tea break in day/night Test matches?
In a day game, the tea break takes place after the second session for 20 minutes. But as it takes place after the first session in a day/nighter, the break time differs in different countries.
Some pink-ball matches have a 20-minute tea break, while in some games, it may last for 40 minutes. For instance, in India, there’s a 20-minute tea break, but in Australia, it lasts for 40 minutes.
How long is a dinner break in day/night Test matches?
Since day/night matches start in the afternoon, the lunch break has been replaced with a dinner break. The dinner break time depends on how long a tea break lasts.
If the tea break is 20 minutes, then the dinner break will be for 40 minutes, and vice versa. So a dinner break will last for either 20 or 40 minutes.
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