Test cricket had two teams for twelve years. Today it has twelve — and only one newcomer avoided defeat on debut.
1877: Australia and England, alone. 1889: South Africa, beaten inside two days. West Indies, New Zealand and India all lost their first Test to England. Pakistan joined in 1952.
No new Test team for nearly 30 years, while apartheid kept South Africa out of Tests from 1970 to 1992.
Sri Lanka in 1982. Zimbabwe in 1992 drew with India in Harare — the only newcomer that didn't lose on debut. Bangladesh followed in 2000; Ireland and Afghanistan were admitted together in 2017 and debuted in 2018.
More than 2,500 Tests later, in March 2027 the first two teams return to the MCG, 150 years on, under lights.