CRICKET
Teams with most Test wins and attempts made to win their first Test
Ireland became just the 12th team to win a Test match. They defeated Afghanistan in a low-scoring game. The match had a thrilling end. Having to chase 111, Ireland was reduced to 11/4 at one point. That was when Andrew Balbirnie was joined by Lorcan Tucker. The duo framed a 100-run stand and took Ireland home. The historic moment saw them win their first Test match.
Following the match, all the Test-playing nations now have at least a win in the format. Check out the list of Test-playing nations with the most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win.
Also check: 3 reasons why Kuldeep Yadav is a better spinner for India than Ravichandran Ashwin in the longer run
Australia
Check out the list of Test-playing nations with the most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Australia won the first-ever Test match in the history. At the MCG, they defeated the visiting England, thanks to a hundred from Charles Bannerman. It took them just one match to start their winning run in the format. Since then, they have been the team with the greatest number of Test wins. They have won a whopping 412 Test matches.
England
Check out the list of Test-playing nations with the most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
While Australia won the first Test match of the series in 1877, England came back well by winning the second. They have been the second most successful team in the longest format of the game since then. They have just 20 wins less than Australia in Tests. Their 392 wins is the second most for a team in Tests, which is almost double that of the third team in the list.
Pakistan
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Pakistan needed just two matches to open their account in the longest format of the game. They have been impressive in the format since then. They have been the sixth most successful team in the longest format of the game with 148 wins to their name. In the last three decades of the 20th century, they had their best cricket team.
Afghanistan
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Afghanistan played their first-ever Test against India in 2017 at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. While they lost the match by an inning, they quickly made a return in the Tests in some style. In their second match in Tests, they beat Bangladesh. They also won the series and impressed the cricket pundits. They have won three Test matches since 2017.
West Indies
Check out the list of Test-playing nations with the most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
West Indies took six matches to claim their maiden win in the format. For the second half of the 20th century, they were arguably the best format across formats. They are the third most successful side in Tests despite being average in the last 25 years. They have claimed 183 wins in the longest format of the game till now.
Ireland
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Ireland is the youngest Test team. They were handed the status of a full member in 2019 and faced England at Lord’s in their maiden appearance. While they were impressive in the Test, England won the match. In the recently concluded Test match, Ireland defeated Afghanistan to claim their maiden win in the Tests, after playing eight matches.
Zimbabwe
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Zimbabwe has had a mixed bag in Test cricket. However, they remain to be the best Test team outside the top eight teams. It took them eleven Test matches to claim their maiden win in the format. But they wasted no time to claim a lot of wins in the format. They have 13 wins in the longest format of the game.
South Africa
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
South Africa made its debut in the 19th century, only the third team to do so. For the most part in cricket, South Africa faced tough challenges from England and Australia. They finally broke the shackles by winning their 12th Test match. Since then, the African team has been the fourth most successful team in Tests with 178 wins to their name.
Sri Lanka
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Sri Lanka has had a mixed bag in the longest format of the game. It took them 14 matches to win their maiden Test. Since then, they have been able to win 101 matches, which is an impressive number. Their biggest achievement in the format has probably been beating South Africa in their own backyard in 2019, the first feat for an Asian side.
India
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
India is arguably the best Test team currently. They have been able to dominate the format with its insane home record. However, it took a lot of time for them to claim the first win, which came against England. They won their first Test match after playing 25 matches. Since then, they have the fifth most wins in the format with 177 wins to their name. They could soon be third in the list.
Bangladesh
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
Bangladesh has not been able to be that good a side in Tests. It has been evident the way they had to toil hard to claim their maiden win in the format. It took them 35 matches to claim their first Test win. Bangladesh has won 19 Test matches till now. Their most recent win came against a good side like New Zealand in 2023.
New Zealand
Check out the list of Test playing nations with most wins and the number of Tests taken by them to claim the maiden win (Source: X)
New Zealand is currently one of the best sides in the world. However, it took them a lot of time to be at this position. They won their maiden Test match after playing 45 matches. In 1986, Richard Hadlee nearly singlehandedly won NZ the Test series in Australia. It was the same NZ team which stopped the West Indies from winning the series in 1980, the only instance of the great 1980s team of the West Indies failing to win a series in the period. NZ won the maiden WTC final in 2021 and have 115 wins to their name in the format currently.