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.
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| 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.