India, one of the Test Cricket superpowers, has unfortunately failed to qualify and secure a berth for its third consecutive World Test Championship finals. The 2025 World Test Championship will now be played between South Africa and Australia.

Panic has set in with Lord’s To Take Rs 45 Crore Revenue Hit

The World Test Championship was a desperate attempt by the ICC to keep Test cricket alive, ensuring relevance in an era dominated by white-ball cricket.

With India consistently doing well in the last 2 World Test Championship Cycles and being one of the finalists in the first two editions of the World Test Championship, the crowds filled up the stadium on all days of the Test match.

Test cricket seems to have been showing some revival.

With India not being in the finals, Panic has set in as there is a serious possibility of empty stands for the World Test Championship Finals this time around.

MCC may struggle to get a decent crowd for the finals to be played against Australia and South Africa.

Ticket prices were kept high as India was expected to qualify for the finals. Unfortunately, 2 bad series losses for India saw Australia qualifying in this edition.

India dropped to third place after losing to New Zealand at home and suffering a 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in late 2024 and early 2025

Lord’s Cricket Ground faces a significant revenue drop of nearly £ 4 million (approx Rs 45 crore) for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final due to India’s non-qualification. The figure has been cited by The Times in the UK.

India’s absence has reduced the expected financial gains for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

There is an expectation of a considerable fall in viewership both on TV as well as inside the stadium

MCC has now reduced ticket prices to ensure better stadium attendance rather than risk empty seats at higher prices.

Only 9000 spectators attended the last England Test against Sri Lanka at Lords which came under severe criticism.

Ticket pricing was forced to be reviewed after this.

WTC Final Ticket Prices Slashed Due to Low Demand

India’s absence from the ICC World Test Championship final has led to a huge financial loss for cricket’s governing body.

The World Test Championship final tickets now range between £40 and £90, approximately £50 less than the original prices.

This price reduction accounts for the revenue loss.

Members who purchased tickets before the reduction were also refunded.

The Great Fall of Test Cricket and India becoming the Cricket powerhouse Today

Today, apart from India, only Australia, England, and South Africa play serious Test Cricket. The number of Test Cricket matches played during the year has also drastically reduced.

ICC and the respective boards are struggling to get fans to the stadium to watch Test cricket.

Test matches involving India are the only games where this issue is currently not faced.

Most stadiums are full when India plays a Test match at home or abroad.

This was clearly evident in packed stadiums for New Zealand Test series and the Border Gavaskar trophy series.

But the losing interest in the longer format is visible in empty stadiums when Team India is not involved.

Even television viewership drastically falls for the longer format of the game. Test cricket is not a format broadcasters love.

Super Sports view – Is the ICC Doing Enough?

Test Cricket was ruled by West Indies in the 80s and dominated by Australia and England till the 90s.

Test Cricket became a popular format for India in the Ganguly Era and in the Virat Kohli Era. Today, India, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, is one of the most popular teams in Test Cricket.

With the advent of the shortest format of cricket, T20 International cricket, cricket grew as a sport covering a larger fan base and now is played in many non-cricket-playing nations.

The T20 format has helped cricket spread its reach to many parts of the globe and is in the process of becoming a global sport. Unfortunately, the growth of the game has adversely affected the longest format of the game

Till recently, England and Australia were handling the affairs of the game; cricket was restricted to countries from the commonwealth and played traditionally. This restricted its growth in comparison to other fast-paced sports, and eventually, its popularity started showing a decline.

West Indies today is just a shadow of their past. The Island team now focuses on the shorter format and lucrative franchise leagues like many other teams.

Today, Test Cricket is played in empty stands, which reflects its declining popularity amongst the cricket-watching audience.

Bilateral Test Series are hardly even discussed in mainstream media as compared to hours and hours of media coverage for a single T20 game.

The only exception to the above is when India is involved. Indian fans fill stadiums even for a Test Match, highlighting Indian cricket’s monetary influence globally.

Is India the last hope for Test cricket? Tell us your thoughts!

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