It was 1932 at Lord’s when CK Nayudu’s men first donned India’s whites, staring down a daunting England side.
Ninety-two years, two months, and 28 days later, Rohit Sharma’s India etched a new chapter in their storied cricket history. With a victory over Bangladesh in Chennai, India flipped the script in Test cricket-more wins than losses at last. A number like ‘179’ might not scream historic, but it now marks the moment when India’s win-loss ratio edged past the break-even point for the first time, standing at 1.005 after 314 cricketers have battled on the field for 2,677 days in total.
The path to that first win wasn’t smooth. It took India 25 Tests and a staggering 20 years to claim a victory-a six-run triumph over England in Madras in 1952, under the stoic leadership of Vijay Hazare. By the time India claimed their 10th win, they had already toiled through 94 Tests. The team’s maiden overseas win came in 1968 in Dunedin, New Zealand, as spin maestros Erapalli Prasanna and Bishan Singh Bedi spun their way to India’s first overseas series victory.
Progress was slow, though. India’s 50th Test win didn’t arrive until their 287th match, 62 years after their debut. The 100th? That came 77 years and 434 Tests later. The 150th win only arrived after 86 years, in their 534th Test match. India’s early Test cricket history was defined by flashes of brilliance, but consistency remained elusive. Even at the turn of the century, India was a middling team, ranked sixth globally, with just 63 wins from 336 Tests and a win/loss ratio of 0.58. Teams like Pakistan and South Africa, despite playing fewer games, outpaced India in wins.
But then, the 21st century happened, and India’s Test cricket fortunes rocketed. Since 2001, India has won 116 of 244 Tests, second only to Australia. At home, they’ve become an unstoppable force, with a staggering 63.06% win rate in 111 matches-again, only behind Australia. Overseas, India secured 46 wins in 131 matches since 2001, redefining their global Test status.
The true surge began around 2010 when India overtook Australia in both home and away performances. With 78 wins in 147 matches since 2010, they boast a win/loss ratio of 1.857. A golden phase emerged when MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Virat Kohli, who led India to 40 victories in 68 Tests, while Rohit Sharma has continued the momentum, securing 11 wins from 17 matches since taking over in 2022.
WHAT CHANGED AFTER 2000?
India’s rise as a Test cricket powerhouse owes much to the leadership of captains like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli. Ganguly’s aggressive captaincy in the early 2000s laid the groundwork, instilling a belief that India could win anywhere in the world. Dhoni’s calm and calculated approach brought historic success. Kohli then elevated the team’s fitness and intensity, turning India into one of the most formidable sides in world cricket, triggering a stretch of envious home domination.
The evolution wasn’t just in the captaincy; it was in the team’s DNA. The inconsistencies of the ’90s morphed into a beast of consistency and confidence. Every series, every session, India played like a team that believed in their divine right to win, whether at home or away. From ranking fifth in the ICC Test rankings in 2003 to reaching back-to-back World Test Championships, India enjoyed one of their strongest decades.
Traditionally known for batting prowess and a dominant spin-bowling core, India’s recent success has been fueled by a new generation of fast bowlers. Led by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammad Siraj, and supported by stalwarts like Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, India has emerged as a pace-bowling superpower. Not to forget the spin twins of India, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja– One has over 500 wickets and 3,000-plus runs, another just shy of 300 wickets and with 3,000-plus runs.
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 innings & 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 MOST TEST WINS FOR INDIA
72 – Sachin Tendulkar
60 = Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin
58 – Rahul Dravid
56 – Cheteshwar Pujara
CAPTAINS WITH MOST TEST WINS FOR INDIA
40- Virat Kohli
27-MS Dhoni
21-Sourav Ganguly
14- Mohammed Azharuddin
9-Sunil Gavaskar