Since Virat Kohli retired, there have been claims that Test cricket might lose its importance. However, a packed stand in England's Lord's Cricket Ground, that too to support two neutral teams, Australia and South Africa, has somewhere shaken the belief. Around 26,000 spectators came to taste a non-India participating Test, and that has now questioned the sole relevance of Virat Kohli in Test cricket that his fans have been bragging about for over the last two decades. That India has an influence in World Cricket, is undeniable. It was proved when Lord's management predicted the arrival of India in the championship final. The ticket price saw a surge of almost 50 euros per ticket. However, with the team failing to qualify, the ticket cost decreased, leading the board to a whopping loss of four million euros. Even MCC decided to normalize the pricing post-India exit, leading to a full stadium attendance over sparse crowds at premium rates. In many sites it has been trending that England, despite sporadically failing to qualify for the final as a team, respects cricket as fans, rather than celebrating a personality. Recently there have been words going on for a change in the venue. However, the aesthetics, the vibe, the spontaneity, and the love for sport Lord's can give may not be available in some other corners of the world. Even if Australia can have a lift, countries like India, where hero-worshipping is a trend, might not attract full attendance until India is playing that too in the post-Virat Kohli era. And the weather here that often needs rescheduling matches might pose serious threats, as per fans. Lords Aesthetic 😍 pic.twitter.com/IqdOaAPuRq — Cricket Picture that Goes Hard (@HardCricketpix) June 11, 2025 The picture quality.The weather.The field placement.The crowds. Everything so perfect. ✨#WTCFinal pic.twitter.com/mNv67NGN13 — K 🐼 (@KungFuKislay) June 11, 2025 My friend Mithal Kumar from patna was really angry a few days ago and said ICC is always doing bakwas by hosting the WTC final in England it should be held in India instead. pic.twitter.com/BUhVxd4xJb — Bashar 🧋 (@Wanderers152) June 11, 2025 Read also: Watch: Jansen’s Three-Try Catch Sends Smith Packing in WTC Final The Post-Kohli Era and India’s Test Future While debates poured over regarding Kohli's presence, fans brought in a view of the pre-Kohli era when Kolkata's Eden Gardens gifted a packed gallery view in the early 20s. Kolkata has always been a hyper fan, promoting cricket and hosting a good number of remarkable Test matches, including the first-ever pink-ball Test match in India. This was the crowd in 2001 for ind vs aus in Kolkata. Even way before Kohli debutedBut saar,Kohli made test cricket famous in India saar 🤡 🤣 https://t.co/9iLHzExIO1 pic.twitter.com/OrA0jd4kM6 — Forever_ICT (@loyal_cskian) June 11, 2025 Notably, before Virat Kohli’s debut in 2008, the highest-ever attendance for a Test match in India was during the 1999 Asian Test Championship between India and Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The total crowd over the full five-day Test is estimated at around 465,000, which averages nearly 93,000 spectators per day. On individual days, attendance commonly exceeded 100,000 fans, especially during the early sessions. Notably, in Mohali, in 2024, against South Africa, only 1000 fans turned in on Day 1. So its kinda dismissed the fact that it's all Kohli! However, even in Kohli's era, India witnessed empty stands. A country dominated by the cash-rich Indian Premier League needs that name to turn some heads back to the stadium to witness the Test cricket. The fact that the Los Angeles Olympics is going to feature cricket after 128 years officially has the influence of brand Virat Kohli. That Virat Kohli retired has stirred further debates regarding his importance, even when the new Indian Test team landed in England and no press came to greet them. Whatever the result comes in England, the results of fan engagement in the post-Kohli era in India will come out when his country plays their first Test match this year in October.