The Marylebone Cricket Club, which had taken over responsibility for organizing all official overseas England tours, toured the West Indies in 1910-11 and 1912-13, but there was no notable international cricket until the West Indian side visited England in 1923. That tour is now regarded as the first true Test match series between two countries.
The West Indians won the first three matches easily, but then lost five straight games to fall behind 3-0. The final match of the series was drawn, so the West Indians lost it by default. However, this match has special significance because it was here that Harold Larwood and Arthur Jephson invented the bowling action known today as "leg-break". From then on, the leg-break became an important factor in world cricket. In fact, it is said that if the West Indies had won this series then there would have been no more need for the game's great revolution at the end of the 20th century.
However, despite losing the series, the West Indians enjoyed their time in England. They played 26 matches altogether and scored 740 runs with an average of 30.75 and a high score of 143 not out. This is the highest score ever made by a visiting team in England. Charles Bannerman was their top scorer with 421 runs at an average of 28.50.
The next visit by the West Indies to England was in 1951.
During the 1936 season, the Indian cricket team toured England and played 28 tests. The India team was led by Maharajkumar of Vizianagram, who was not on the tour [edit]. His son Vijayaraghav Rajagopalachari (popularly known as "Jivaji") took over as leader when the tour ended. This is probably when the change in style of play started.
The first test match was played at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham. It was a high-scoring draw (the highest ever final score in a Test match).
The Indians won the next three tests to take a unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. In the fourth test match, however, they were dismissed for under 200 - a low score that has never been recovered from. This led to criticism of Jivaji's captaincy skills. However, he did improve after this series of matches.
In 1938, the Indian team again went on a tour of England, this time playing 52 tests. During this period, India also toured Australia and South Africa. The Indian team was led by Jawaharlal Nehru, who was not on the tour either. He took charge of the government of India after his father's death in 1949 and led it until his own death in 1964.
The list contains all of India's men's, women's, and youth cricket captains. India was admitted as a full member of the Imperial Cricket Conference on May 31, 1926. (now the International Cricket Council). When it played England at Lord's on June 25, 1932, it became the fifth Test country after England, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, and New Zealand.
India played its first Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 4, 1951. It lost the match by an innings and 130 runs. Its second Test came two years later against the same opponent in Delhi. This time India won by an innings and 40 runs.
Australia toured India for three Tests from February to March 1952. The Australian team won the series 2-1.
India's next Test match was also against Australia, this time in Indore. Australia won that match too by an innings and 120 runs. So India had not defeated Australia in Tests yet!
In 1958, India played its first Test match against England at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta. That was also the first match of the famous "Bodyline Series". England won that match by an innings and 180 runs. India has never beaten England in Tests.
So India is still not able to beat England in matches played between Australia and India!
India played its first Test against England at the Lords County Ground, St. John's Wood on August 5, 1959.
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