When India walk out at Galle on Saturday, they join a club with only two other members.

The first Test against Sri Lanka is India’s 600th, making them only the third team after England and Australia to reach the landmark. The gap to the two originals is still wide: England have played 1,097 Tests and Australia 883.

Ninety-four years from Lord’s

India’s record across the first 599 is close to level. They arrive with 186 wins, 188 defeats, 224 draws and one tie, meaning a 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka would square the all-time ledger at 188 apiece.

The starting point was a long way from here. India’s Test journey began on June 25, 1932, when C K Nayudu captained the side against England at Lord’s, fifteen years before Independence, and the first victory did not arrive for nearly twenty years.

The timing of No. 600 carries its own coincidence: it falls on the anniversary of India’s Independence from British rule on August 15, 1947.

A landmark for the ground, too

Galle reaches a milestone of its own on the same day, becoming the first venue in Asia to host 50 Test matches.

The form behind the occasion

The anniversary arrives at an awkward moment for the visitors. India have won eight and lost 10 of their 20 Tests under Gautam Gambhir and have slipped to fifth in the World Test Championship standings, one place above Sri Lanka.

There is precedent for better days on this ground. India’s previous Test tour of Sri Lanka, in 2017, ended in a 3-0 win under Virat Kohli, including victory at Galle.