Since 2011, neither Virat Kohli nor Rohit Sharma will be on the Indian Test team bound for England. With Shubman Gill at the helm, the BCCI selectors were left with the responsibility of selecting a new-look Indian team after the two veteran batsmen declared their retirement from the traditional format last month. However, the moment the Indian team arrived in London on Saturday, there were no media or fans at the airport, and their absence was immediately noticed.

When Kohli arrived in Adelaide with the Indian squad for the tour of Australia last November, there were crowds of fans and journalists everywhere from the airport to the training field. Even before the competition began, the 36-year-old, who is thought to be playing his last Test series in Australia, had made news. The excitement was so intense that Indian team management had to hold a private training session, causing supporters to ascend trees in order to see the celebrity.

However, after the Gill-led side arrived in London for the five-game test series, which began on June 20, none were seen on Saturday. "I did not get to see that hype," Indian journalist Vimal Kumar said in a popular social media video. There were no members of the media or fans present.

With the retirement of Kohli and Rohit, few supporters thought the aura of Test cricket was gone, while others worried that it signaled the "downfall of Indian Test cricket." However, many people were still pessimistic, claiming that the aura would return when Gill let his bat do the talking.

'No different pressure'

The first question posed to Gill at the Mumbai press conference earlier this week prior to the team's departure to London concerned the absence of Kohli and Rohit and the increased burden it would place on the young team. However, the captain shrugged it off, claiming it was no different from any other difficult scenario they had encountered.

"Every tour always has pressure. Without a doubt, it is hard to replace two very seasoned players who have played for such a long time and have won so many games. However, it is not a different type of pressure because all of us players are accustomed to it, he stated during the pre-tour press conference on Wednesday.

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