From Underdogs To Test Giants: How India Became A Top-Two Test Team

The Indian cricket team [Source: BCCI]India will feature in their 600th Test match when they take on Sri Lanka in Galle, completing a journey that began way back in 1932. However, the landmark is more than just another number for Indian cricket.India took 35 years to reach their first 100 Tests and needed another 15 and 14 years to reach the next two milestones. Since then, they have played roughly 100 Tests every decade. However, more importantly, the results have changed dramatically along the way.India was once a team that struggled to win even one-third of their Tests. Now, they are ranked second only to Australia in win-loss ratio among the major Test teams.India's first 400 Tests were far from dominantIndia's early journey in Test cricket was defined more by inconsistency than dominance. Across their first four blocks of 100 Tests, India never managed to establish themselves among the world's strongest teams in terms of win-loss ratio. They ranked sixth in the first, second and fourth blocks, while they were fifth in the third.India had only 56 wins from their first 300 Tests, underlining how difficult it was for the team to consistently convert competitive performances into victories. The transformation was still some distance away, but the foundations were slowly being laid.The transformation that changed India's fortunesIndia's real transformation began during the fifth block, between 2006 and 2016. For the first time, India climbed to third in the win-loss ratio rankings, behind only South Africa and Australia. Their home record became particularly intimidating, with India winning 26 of their 42 Tests and losing only four. This period also saw the emergence of a stronger and more balanced Indian team. India's batting continued to provide plenty of runs, but the bowling department was gradually becoming capable of taking 20 wickets consistently. That was crucial because India's next leap would come from becoming much stronger away from home.Also Read- How India Has Performed In Independence Day Test MatchesIndia finally learned how to win overseasFor decades, India's biggest weakness was its record outside the country. The numbers from the first four 100-Test blocks make that clear. India won only 26 of their 193 away Tests during this period.But the final two blocks produced a completely different India. They won 37 of 107 away Tests, almost matching their entire away win tally from the previous 193 matches despite playing 86 fewer games.The sixth block was particularly impressive. India won 21 of their 49 away Tests and lost 22, giving them a win-loss ratio of 0.955. That number is significant because a victory over Sri Lanka in their 600th Test would take India's away win-loss ratio in this block to 1.00.This is perhaps the clearest evidence of how far India have travelled as a Test team. They were no longer simply a side that dominated at home. They had become a team capable of competing anywhere.The biggest transformation came with the ballInterestingly, India's rise cannot be explained by their batting alone. The biggest change happened in the bowling department, particularly with the emergence of world-class fast bowlers.In India's first two 100-Test blocks, spinners took twice as many wickets as fast bowlers. The difference gradually narrowed over the next three blocks before pace finally overtook spin in the sixth block.India's bowlers averaged just 25.35 in the latest 100-Test block, around nine runs better than the previous period.The fast bowlers averaged 26, while the spinners averaged 24.62. Their strike rates were also exceptional, with pacers striking once every 48.5 balls and spinners once every 51.8 balls.The contrast with India's earlier teams is massive. Neither fast bowlers nor spinners had averaged below 30 or struck at fewer than 60 balls per wicket in any of the first five blocks. India had finally built a bowling attack that could win matches rather than merely support the batting lineup.Virat Kohli's era coincided with India's biggest leapIndia's sixth 100-Test block also coincided with Virat Kohli's tenure as captain, making his contribution difficult to overlook.Kohli finished as India's most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. Remarkably, 32 of those victories came during the sixth block, from just 53 Tests.Even more importantly, 12 of those 32 wins came away from home, more than any other Indian captain managed in his entire career. Kohli's leadership coincided with the emergence of India's pace-bowling culture, improved fitness standards and a stronger belief that India could win overseas.Ajinkya Rahane, who led India whenever Kohli was unavailable, also played an important role during this transformation, winning four of the six Tests he captained without losing any.So, while India's rise cannot be credited to one individual, the Kohli era undoubtedly became the defining period of their transformation into a ruthless Test side.India became better even though their batting averages fellPerhaps the most fascinating aspect of India's rise is that their batting numbers actually became less impressive in the latest 100-Test block. Indian batters averaged 33.21, compared to 34.9 in the previous block.Among the 12 Indian batters who scored more than 1,000 runs during the latest block, only two averaged 45 or more, while none managed to touch 50.Yet India became a better Test team, and the reason was their bowling. All nine Indian bowlers who took at least 50 wickets in the sixth block averaged below 30. Five of them averaged below 25, including two who averaged under 20.That tells us something important about modern Indian Test cricket. India no longer needed a batting lineup filled with players averaging 50-plus to dominate. Their bowling attack had become strong enough to compensate for a less prolific batting unit.From sixth in the world to secondThe overall progression perhaps tells the story better than any individual statistic. India's win-loss ratio ranking across the six blocks went fromSixth, Sixth, Fifth, Sixth, Third, Second.The first 400 Tests were largely about India finding their feet. The fifth block marked the beginning of their rise, while the sixth turned them into a genuine Test powerhouse.Their home record became almost impenetrable, their overseas performances improved dramatically and their bowling attack evolved into one of the best in the world.India's bowling average and strike rate are now both ranked second among the teams in the latest block, behind only South Africa.India's 600th Test is a milestone of transformationIndia's 600th Test against Sri Lanka is therefore much more than a celebration of longevity. It is a reminder of how dramatically Indian Test cricket has evolved.From winning only 56 of their first 300 Tests to winning the same number in their latest 100-Test block, India have travelled from the fringes of Test cricket's elite to the very top.India may have taken 600 Tests to reach this point, but the numbers suggest they are no longer chasing the world's best, they have become one of them.Also Read- IND vs SL Live Streaming, Live Telecast- 1st Test, Where To Watch India Tour Of Sri Lanka 2026?