Jonty Rhodes, Mohammad Kaif, AB De Villiers, Steve Smith, Kieron Pollard, the unsung heroes of cricket have performed in every match. Probably not with their bat or ball but with their sheer fitness and fielding! Today match prediction algorithms will factor in the component of fielding for fantasy points. Though most of these greats are now a part of history, the modern-day fitness is guided by clear-cut rules for fitness – The Yo-Yo test
The word Yo-Yo test came into the buzz in India when Suresh Raina failed to clear the test in mid-2016. He was the first renowned cricketer to fail the test later followed by Yuvraj Singh, AmbatiRayudu and Washington Sundar.
Clearing the Yo-Yo test was made mandatory by the BCCI to claim a spot in team India. It came into highlight because of the sheer number of matches that the team plays. The players should be fit to give their 100% in each match and the Yo-Yo test is an important criterion to prove the fitness. The enduring test has definitely improved the fitness level among the cricketers resulting in improved fielding standards.
What is a Yo-Yo test?
It is a fitness test also known as Multi-stage fitness test or the beep test. It proves a player’s endurance and fitness. There are 3 cones (say A, B, and C) placed at a distance of 5 meters, and 20 meters. The test starts from cone B.
The athlete has to sprint between the 20 meters (B to C and back) in a stipulated time period and can recover for 10 seconds by jogging between the 5-meter cones (B to A and back) before getting ready for the next sprint. If an athlete fails to cover the distance between the 2 cones (2*20 meters) in a stipulated time, he is given a warning, and if he fails to cover the distance again, the test ends. In Lay man’s term, you are fit enough if you can run 2 km in 8 minutes.
Also Read: Will India avenge the 2014-15 Border Gavaskar Trophy loss? AUS vs IND Predictions.
Clearing the test-
It is important to have the mental toughness and proper technique to clear the test along with stamina. It was observed that if a player crosses the line (cone) by about 50 centimetres for each sprint, it makes his test 5 percent harder. Another important aspect is how he turns after sprinting for 20 meters. If an athlete takes a wide turn, it will add to the distance that he covers.
The Benchmarks-
The benchmark Yo-Yo score for Indian cricketer is set to 16.1. It is low compared to many other cricketing countries. For example, Srilanka and Pakistan have a benchmark of 17.4, England and New Zealand have a benchmark of 19.
India’s Virat Kohli known for his fitness has a personal score of 19. Manish Pandey had broken Kohli’s record of 19 when he registered 19.2, which was recently bettered by an uncapped Indian Cricketer Mayank Dagar who registered a score of 19.3.
Kohli’s score of 19 in YoYo test was again in headlines when Pakistan’s fast bowler Hasan Ali registered a score of 20. It was not long when the comparison between Kohli’s and Hasan Ali’s fitness level was made, to which Hasan Ali replied: “People might be comparing my fitness results with Kohli, but he is fitter anyway.”
Since Dhoni became the captain, India has produced some fantastic fielders. One of the finest & the fittest players of the Indian team, the Indian captain – Virat Kohli was beaten by Hasan Ali.
India and Pakistan both teams are the best team of Asia and becoming a paradigm of fittest team
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