Has Test cricket become a dying format in Asia?

No, Test cricket has not become a dying format in Asia overall, though it faces challenges and varying levels of interest across the region. Asia remains the heartland of cricket's global fanbase and revenue, with India driving much of the sport's economics and viewership. However, the format's popularity is more nuanced than in the T20 era, and it's far from uniformly thriving or collapsing.

In India, Test cricket retains strong cultural prestige and draws massive audiences for high-profile series, especially against Australia, England, or in the World Test Championship (WTC) context. For instance, the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia saw record crowds (over 837,000 total attendees, boosted heavily by Indian fans) and huge Indian TV/digital viewership (192.5 million viewers, billions of watch-time minutes). Home series can vary—some against weaker opponents like West Indies have seen low crowds in venues like Ahmedabad (described as "feels like a practice game"), but marquee matches or those with stakes still pull strong interest. India dominates global cricket's financial model, and Test success (like past home dominance) fuels national pride.

In other Asian Test nations:

• Pakistan struggles with domestic crowds for non-marquee Tests (e.g., low turnout vs Bangladesh in 2024 despite cheap tickets), partly due to security/history and T20 focus, but bilateral series and rivalries keep engagement alive.
• Sri Lanka and Bangladesh show mixed results—Tests often draw modest crowds, and boards face financial pressures, but regional events and upsets (e.g., Bangladesh wins) spark interest.
• Afghanistan (emerging) has passionate support, though more T20-oriented.

Broader context shows Test cricket isn't "dying" in Asia as a whole—it's the dominant region for cricket fans (90% of global fans per older ICC surveys, billions in viewership for major events). Asia hosts huge crowds for ODIs/T20s, and while T20 leagues dominate casual attention, Tests hold prestige. Global concerns about Test cricket's future (e.g., financial losses outside Big Three, shorter attention spans) apply more to non-Asian nations or smaller boards. In Asia, the format survives because of India's pull—without it, Test cricket in the region would be weaker, but India's involvement keeps it viable.

Challenges include:

• T20's rise reducing patience for 5-day games.
• Poor crowds for low-stakes bilateral Tests.
• Scheduling clashes and player workload.

But innovations like day-night Tests, the WTC adding context, and strong rivalries prevent outright decline. Test cricket in Asia is evolving and pressured—not dying. It's still the "ultimate test" for many fans and players here.