Team India to play 600th Test on Independence Day, a look at their journey from Lord's to Galle

India will lock horns against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the two-match series on August 15, Saturday at the Galle International Stadium in Galle. The game coincides with the country's 80th Independence. The game will mark India's 600th appearance in the longest format, making them the only third country after England ((1,097) and Australia (883) to reach the landmark.

India started their journey in the longest format against England at Lord's in June 1932, enduring a heavy 158-run loss on debut. Their wait for the first Test win lasted two decades and 25 games.

Match	Opponent	Date	Venue	Winner
1st Test	England	25 June 1932	Lord's, London	England (by 158 runs)
100th Test	England	13 July 1967	Birmingham	England (by 132 runs)
200th Test	Pakistan	10 December 1982	Lahore	Match Drawn
300th Test	South Africa	20 November 1996	Ahmedabad	India (by 64 runs)
400th Test	West Indies	30 June 2006	Kingston	India (by 49 runs)
500th Test	New Zealand	22 September 2016	Kanpur	India (by 197 runs)

India's long wait for their first Test win finally ended on February 10, 1952 in Madras, where Vijay Hazare's side defeated England by an innings and six runs. Before that milestone, India picked up 12 losses and recorded 12 draws across games against England, Australia and the West Indies. Through the 20th century, India remained the sixth-most successful Test side in terms of wins, with Pakistan and South Africa claiming more wins despite playing significantly fewer games.

ALSO READ: BCCI to take big call on Ajit Agarkar's future after Sri Lanka Tests amid Rohit Sharma row

ALSO READ: 'If the scheduling allows us to...': Shubman Gill raises concern over India's packed schedule, pushes for more Test preparation

Milestone	Won	Lost	Drawn	Tied
After 25 Tests	1	12	12	-
After 100 Tests	10	40	50	-
After 200 Tests	35	72	93	1
After 300 Tests	56	98	145	1
After 400 Tests	88	129	182	1
After 500 Tests	130	157	212	1
After 599 Tests*	186	188	224	1

India's performance in the 21st century

India's luck in Test cricket took a big turn after the turn of the century. Over the last 25 years, the team have registered 123 wins from 263 games, establishing themselves among the strongest sides in the longest format. Only Australia and England have recorded more Test wins during this time, leaving India third on the list.

Key moments in Indian cricket

A big phase of Indian cricket started when MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli. During 2014 and 2020, India became a ruthless force under Kohli, winning 40 of their 68 Tests for an impressive success rate of 58.82 percent. However, their outcomes in the red-ball format have witnessed a steep decline in recent times, highlighted by home series defeats against New Zealand (0-3 in 2024) and South Africa (0-2).

After missing out on a place in last year's World Test Championship final, India currently sit at fifth place in the ongoing cycle with four wins from nine games.