15 March 1877 witnessed a historic event in cricketing history as Australia and England squared off in the first-ever Test match. Since then, 12 teams have played in the longest format of the game.
The Test format is the soul of the gentleman’s game, which has its own aura. Only the best teams get an opportunity to don the whites and play in the ultimate format.
In this article, we’ll list all the Test cricket-playing nations.
List: Test Playing Nations
| S. No. | Team | Test Status Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Australia | 15 March 1877 |
| 2. | England | 15 March 1877 |
| 3. | South Africa | 12 March 1889 |
| 4. | West Indies | 23 June 1928 |
| 5. | New Zealand | 10 January 1930 |
| 6. | India | 25 June 1932 |
| 7. | Pakistan | 16 October 1952 |
| 8. | Sri Lanka | 17 February 1982 |
| 9. | Zimbabwe | 18 October 1992 |
| 10. | Bangladesh | 10 November 2000 |
| 11. | Ireland | 11 May 2018 |
| 12. | Afghanistan | 14 June 2018 |
Australia and England | 15 March 1877
As mentioned earlier, Australia and England played the first Test match in history. This encounter took place at Australia’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). The Aussies defeated the visitors by 45 runs to set sail in the longest format.
South Africa | 12 March 1889
After a gap of almost 12 years, a new team was given Test status. South Africa played their first-ever Test match against England on 12 March 1889 in Gqeberha. The match was a 3-day affair, however, the match was over by the end of the second day as England thrashed the hosts by 8 wickets.
West Indies | 23 June 1928
In June 1928, the West Indies toured England to play their first Test match. On 23 June, the Windies played against the hosts at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground. The Caribbean team had a bumpy start, as England beat them by an innings and 58 runs.
New Zealand | 10 January 1930
In 1930, England played yet another Test match against new Test debutants. This time, it was against New Zealand, which was playing in their first Test. The Kiwis challenged the experienced English team, however, England had the last laugh as New Zealand were handed a defeat by 8 wickets.
India | 25 June 1932
Cricket is no less than a religion in India, with a huge fan following for the game in the country. India’s dream to have a go at the oldest format came true in 1932 when they played against England in a one-off Test. India’s first Test match happened at Lord’s, marking a watershed moment in the country’s cricketing history.
Pakistan | 16 October 1952
Following a hiatus of 20 years, Pakistan was given Test status and became the seventh nation to play Test cricket. Pakistan toured neighbouring India to play their first-ever Test match on 16 October 1952.
Also Read | Ranking Cricket’s Five Greatest Rivalries
Sri Lanka | 17 February 1982
After India and Pakistan’s exploits on the international stage, cricket in Asia boomed to the next level. Sri Lanka became the third Asian team to make their debut in the Test format. England continued their tradition of playing against debutants and toured Sri Lanka in 1982 for a one-off match.
Zimbabwe | 18 October 1992
Zimbabwe became the only second team after Australia to not lose their debut Test match. The African nation played their first-ever Test match against India in 1992 and managed to draw it by outperforming India in the first innings.
Bangladesh | 10 November 2000
Bangladesh witnessed an astronomical rise in international cricket at the end of the 20th century. Their performances in the 1997 ICC Trophy and the 1999 World Cup helped them gain Test status. The Bangla Tigers hosted their neighbour India in their first-ever Test in 2000, where they put up a good fight in the match.
Ireland | 11 May 2018
After consistently playing cricket for over a decade since 2006, Ireland got their most-awaited Test status in 2017, alongside Afghanistan. Ireland, situated near England, became the second European nation to play Test cricket. Their first Test outing came against Pakistan in May 2018 in Dublin.
Afghanistan | 14 June 2018
Despite going through a war-like situation at home, the Afghanistan cricket team’s rise is nothing short of a fairy tale. After starting their journey as an affiliate member in 2001, Afghanistan became the 12th full member of the ICC in 2017. With that, they got Test status and played their debut Test against India in June 2018.
