India are all set to play their 600th Test in Sri Lanka in Galle from Saturday. Only Australia and England have played more Tests than India, which puts the country in some fairly exclusive company.
The Indian men's cricket team has a rich history in Tests, as they have been participating in this format even before the country achieved independence from the British.
The Sporting News takes a quick trip down memory lane, recounting Indian cricket's Test debut and historic wins.
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When is India's 600th Test match?
When India take on Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday, August 15, 2026, the nation will play its 600th Test.
When did India make their Test match debut?
If we rewind all the way to June 25, 1932, we will find that India first stepped onto the Test stage, against England at Lord's, the home of cricket.
This happened well before independence arrived in 1947, meaning a handful of players were flying the flag for a nation that wasn't even fully its own yet.
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Who was India's first Test captain?
That 1932 tour was led by C.K. (Cottari Kanakaiya) Nayudu. He was known for hitting the ball about as hard as anyone of his era.
India's first Test win
India finally got their first Test victory in February 1952, when they thrashed England by an innings and eight runs in Chennai (Madras back then), with Vinoo Mankad spinning webs around the visiting batters.
India's first overseas Test win
The away win came even later in 1968, in Dunedin, New Zealand. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's side pulled off a 157-run victory, finally proving India could win outside familiar conditions too.
India's first series win
That 1952 breakthrough kicked off something bigger.
Later the same year, India beat Pakistan 2-1 at home to bag their first-ever series win. The series win came at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai during the third Test from November 13-16, 1952.
India's first overseas series win
Ajit Wadekar's team built on the Dunedin heroics in 1968, beating New Zealand 3-1 on the same tour to claim India's first series victory away from home.
What is India's record in Test matches?
Going into match number 600, India's overall record reads: 186 wins, 188 losses, 224 draws, and a solitary tie from 599 Tests. If India win this series 2-0 in Sri Lanka, the wins-losses column evens out completely.
| Wins | 186 |
| Losses | 188 |
| Draws | 224 |
| Tied | 1 |
India's highest scorers in Tests: Top 5
| Rank | Player | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 15,921 |
| 2 | Rahul Dravid | 13,288 |
| 3 | Sunil Gavaskar | 10,122 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | 9,230 |
| 5 | VVS Laxman | 8,781 |