India's Journey in Test: From Early Struggles to Historic Triumphs

In a stunning development, India's Test cricket saga has reached an extraordinary landmark. After 92 years since CK Nayudu captained the first Test against England at Lord's in 1932, Rohit Sharma's squad has now achieved a win-loss ratio that exceeds parity for the first time, following their recent victory over Bangladesh in Chennai.

The path to success was anything but straightforward. It took India 25 matches and two decades to claim their first win—a nail-biting six-run triumph over England in Madras in 1952. By the time they celebrated their 50th win, they had participated in 287 Tests, and their 100th victory came after an arduous 434 matches. A significant transformation began in the 21st century, with India winning 116 out of 244 Tests since 2001, placing them just behind Australia. Playing at home became a significant advantage, as reflected in their impressive 63.06% success rate over 111 matches.

Key leadership has been essential, with captains like Ganguly, Dhoni, and Kohli enhancing the team's performance. Kohli's tenure, in particular, demonstrated remarkable consistency and confidence, resulting in 40 wins in just 68 Tests. Additionally, India's evolution included the emergence of a strong pace attack, complementing their traditional spin prowess, epitomised by legends like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

With a record total of 179 victories now surpassing their 178 losses, India stands proudly in the realm of Test cricket, inscribing a momentous chapter in their illustrious history.

INDIA's MILESTONES IN TEST CRICKET

Maiden Test in 1932: India played their first Test in 1932 under the captaincy of CK Nayadu, losing to England by 158 runs.

1st Test win in 1952: India registered their first Test win over England. The hosts defeated the English side by an inning & 8 runs in Madras.

50th Test win in 1994: India scripted their 50th Test win. India defeated Sri Lanka in Lucknow by an innings & 119 runs for their 50th Test win.

100th Test win in 2009: India defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in Kanpur. This turned out to be India's 100th Test victory in their 432nd outing.

150th Test win in 2018: A 137-run win over Australia in Melbourne not only helped the Virat Kohli-led side retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also completed India's 150th Test win.

179th win in 2024: Chennai Test win over Bangladesh meant India now have for the first time more wins than losses in their 92-year Test history. They achieved this grand milestone with 179 wins, which is one more than their 178 losses in Test matches.

INDIA's RESULT PROGRESSION IN TESTS

After 25 Tests - Won: 1, Loss: 12, Draw: 12

After 100 Tests - Won: 10, Loss: 40, Draw: 50

After 200 Tests - Won: 35, Loss: 72, Draw: 93, Tied: 1

After 300 Tests - Won: 56, Loss: 98, Draw: 145, Tied: 1

After 400 Tests - Won: 88, Loss: 129, Draw: 182, Tied: 1

After 500 Tests - Won: 130, Loss: 157, Draw: 212, Tied: 1

After 580 Tests - Won: 179, Loss: 178, Draw: 222, Tied: 1

Home (290 matches) - Won: 119, Loss: 55, Draw: 115, Tied: 1 Away (290 matches) - Won: 60, Loss: 123, Draw: 107

PLAYERS WITH THE MOST TEST WINS FOR INDIA

72 - Sachin Tendulkar 60 = Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin 58 - Rahul Dravid 56 - Cheteshwar Pujara

CAPTAINS WITH THE MOST TEST WINS FOR INDIA

40- Virat Kohli 27-MS Dhoni 21-Sourav Ganguly 14- Mohammed Azharuddin 9-Sunil Gavaskar