600 Tests On August 15! India Make Cricket History On Independence Day

India kicked off their Sri Lanka tour today (August 15) at Galle, marking a historic feat in Test Cricket. The first Test, which concided with India’s 80th Independence Day, added another layer of significance as India became only the third team after England and Australia to play 600 Tests.

India began their Test journey on June 25, 1932, against England, under the leadership of Colonel C.K. at Lord’s. Nayudu became India’s first Test captain after the Maharaja of Porbandar and his deputy withdrew on the eve of the match.

However, India had to wait until the 1951-52 season for their first Test victory, when Vijay Hazare’s side defeated England by an innings and eight runs in Chennai.

Since then, India have evolved from a team finding its footing in international cricket to one of the powerhouses of the Test game.

India played their 100th Test against England in Birmingham in 1967, their 200th against Pakistan in Lahore in 1982, the 300th against South Africa in Ahmedabad in 1996, and the 400th against the West Indies in Jamaica in 2006.

Their 500th Test came against New Zealand at Green Park in Kanpur in 2016. Led by Virat Kohli, India marked the occasion with a 197-run victory.

Heading into their 600th Test, India have played 599 matches, winning 186 and losing 188. A total of 224 Tests have ended in draws, while one match was tied.

Speaking on the eve of the landmark fixture, captain Shubman Gill said it was a matter of immense pride to lead India in their 600th Test, especially as it coincided with Independence Day on August 15.

“Any Test match that you captain for your country [has a lot of importance]. Obviously, leading my country in our 600th Test match is a big honour and privilege for me and doing that on Independence Day, it is even more special for us.”

IND vs SL Toss: India Opt to Bat

Gill won the toss in Galle and elected to bat first. India fielded a largely unchanged XI from their previous Test against Afghanistan in June, with Devdutt Padikkal replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, handed a Test debut to off-spin bowling all-rounder Keshara Nuwantha.

Playing XIs:

India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Manav Suthar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

 Sri Lanka: Lahiru Udara, Nishan Madushka, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Sonal Dinusha, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Keshara Nuwantha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Lahiru Kumara, Asitha Fernando.