New Delhi, August 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India is set to enter an elite club in Test cricket when Shubman Gill’s side takes the field for its 600th Test against Sri Lanka at Galle from August 15.
The landmark fixture, which coincides with India’s 80th Independence Day, will make India only the third Test-playing nation after England and Australia to reach the 600-Test mark. The match also carries significance for India’s World Test Championship campaign.
Gill has described the occasion as a special honour, particularly because he will lead India on Independence Day.
As the Indian team prepares for its 600th Test, here is a look at five victories that have come to define the country’s remarkable Test journey.
1. Port of Spain, 1976 — India defy history
Chasing 403 against the West Indies at Port of Spain was considered an almost impossible task. Before India achieved it, only Australia had successfully chased more than 400, against England in 1948.
Even Sunil Gavaskar did not believe victory was within reach. Yet India produced one of the most extraordinary fourth-innings chases in Test history.
Gavaskar scored 102 while Gundappa Viswanath made 112 as Bishan Singh Bedi’s team hunted down the target. India’s victory was celebrated as a stunning upset, with the Trinidad Express declaring: “India defy history, whip West Indies.”
2. Kolkata, 2001 — The follow-on miracle
India’s 2001 victory over Australia at Eden Gardens remains one of the most celebrated comebacks in Test cricket.
Australia posted 445 before India were dismissed for just 171, leaving the hosts 274 runs behind. Forced to follow on, India fought back through an extraordinary 376-run partnership between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
Laxman’s 281 and Dravid’s 180 helped India declare at 657/7. Harbhajan Singh, who had already claimed a hat-trick earlier in the match, then completed the job as Australia were bowled out, handing India a famous 171-run victory.
3. Adelaide, 2003 — Dravid leads another Australian heist
Two years after Kolkata, India produced another memorable win in Australia.
Ricky Ponting’s side amassed 556 in the first innings, but Dravid and Laxman once again stood between Australia and victory. Dravid scored 233 and Laxman 148 in a 303-run partnership, taking India to 523.
Ajit Agarkar then dismantled the Australian second innings with 6/41, restricting the hosts to 196. Chasing 230, India were guided home by an unbeaten 72 from Dravid, securing a four-wicket win.
4. Brisbane, 2021 — The Gabba fortress falls
India’s victory at Brisbane in 2021 came against the backdrop of an extraordinary injury crisis.
The visitors were without several first-choice players, including Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari and Umesh Yadav. Australia nevertheless managed 369 in the first innings, with India responding with 336 after important contributions from Shardul Thakur and debutant Washington Sundar.
Mohammed Siraj then took five wickets as Australia were dismissed for 294, leaving India a daunting 328 to win against an attack featuring Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.
Australia had not lost a Test at the Gabba for 32 years. But Shubman Gill’s 91, Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 89 and Sundar’s 22 helped India complete a stunning three-wicket victory.
5. Lord’s, 2021 — Kohli’s aggressive masterstroke
India’s 151-run victory at Lord’s in 2021 was another defining moment of the Virat Kohli era.
India made 364 in the first innings, with KL Rahul scoring a century, before England responded with 391, led by Joe Root’s 180.
India’s second innings eventually reached 298/8 declared after Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah produced a crucial lower-order partnership. With less than two sessions remaining, England appeared set to escape with a draw.
Kohli, however, urged his players to attack. India’s fast bowlers responded brilliantly. Mohammed Siraj took four wickets, Bumrah three, Ishant Sharma two and Shami one as England collapsed for 120 in just 51.5 overs.
The 151-run victory completed one of India’s most memorable Test triumphs at Lord’s.
As India prepares to play its 600th Test, these five victories stand out for their extraordinary comebacks, individual brilliance and ability to overcome seemingly overwhelming odds.
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