In the wake of Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket, a familiar refrain echoed across social media platforms: "Test cricket will never be the same without him."
That’s sentimental, but not quite true.
Test cricket, the resilient 145-year-old format, will endure. The game that weathered the departures of Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers, and Sachin Tendulkar will survive Kohli's absence. The format's longevity has never hinged on individual brilliance.
What hangs in the balance is something far more specific: Indian cricket's relationship with its most challenging format.
Kohli served as Test cricket's most passionate evangelist during an era when shorter formats commanded the spotlight and financial rewards.
He transformed the five-day game into an aspirational pursuit for a generation raised on limited-overs spectacles. It is no small feat in cricket's most commercially driven market.
At Johannesburg in 2018, when confronted with a treacherous pitch and medical staff advocating caution, Kohli insisted his team play for victory rather than survival. They did, establishing a new paradigm where every Test match carried significance and mental fortitude became non-negotiable.
While Kohli didn't single-handedly construct this winning culture, he personified it. His captaincy yielded historic series victories in Australia (twice), propelled India to the pinnacle of Test rankings, and cultivated fast-bowling arsenals capable of securing victories abroad—once a persistent weakness in Indian cricket.
Even in hopeless situations, Kohli's influence proved transformative. At Lord's in 2021, when defeat appeared inevitable, his animated presence, barking encouragement in the slips to rally his bowlers altered the psychological landscape of the contest. His intensity shifted the match's momentum.
Now, with Kohli departing, Indian cricket stands at an inflection point that transcends personnel changes. The challenge is maintaining a philosophical commitment to Test excellence.
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad represent the batting future. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav form a formidable bowling core. Yet the critical question remains: Will cricket's administrative powerhouse continue investing the same faith and resources in red-ball development?
Recent indicators provide cause for concern. India's 1-3 defeat against Australia in Border-Gavaskar trophy exposed vulnerabilities that extend beyond individual performances.
Kohli, while no longer the statistical behemoth of his prime, contributed occasional brilliance. His century in Perth in November last year echoed former glories.
His unwavering intensity and refusal to concede ground in any session embodied the temperament Test cricket demands. But now that presence has now vanished rather abruptly.
The existential concern isn't for Test cricket's global standard. England's aggressive "Bazball" approach has reinvigorated interest. Australia maintains its traditional reverence for the format.
The legitimate apprehension centers on whether India, a nation that once elevated Test supremacy to a national mission will gradually allow that commitment to erode.
Whether Shubman Gill, the likely successor as captain, will receive similar institutional support to prioritise the red-ball game. Whether prodigies like Jaiswal and Ruturaj will face pressure to concentrate on more lucrative T20 opportunities.
Kohli's legacy extends beyond statistics and victories. He championed an ideal. For him, Test cricket wasn't merely relevant but essential to Indian cricket's fundamental identity.
That identity now stands at a crossroads, with its future direction far from certain.