The Yo-Yo Test is a phrase very closely related to Indian cricket with passing the endurance test being mandatory for selection in the national team. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, along withe the coach and captain, has made the basic fitness test as one of the parameters if anyone represent India, regardless of form.
However, it turns out that Rahul Dravid, India juniors’s coach, doesn’t share that opinion. The former India captain believes that at the age-group level, a player’s cricketing skill should be paramount. In fact, on his insistence, the Yo-Yo test has not been made mandatory for junior cricketers’ selection, reported the Indian Express.
“The Indian team trainer had thrown the idea of having Yo-Yo test for India under-19 team but Dravid made it clear that it should not be needed for junior cricket. At this age, players should improve their skills. Fitness is important but if he can score runs and take wickets, that should be the parameter of selecting a player,” source at the National Cricket Academy, Bangalore was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The next assignment for the Under-19 team is the Asia Cup in Malaysia.
What is the Yo-Yo Test?
The Yo-Yo endurance test is one of the fitness tests that the Indian team regularly goes through in order to stay at the top of the game. In recent times, it has been made mandatory for players wanting to make it to the team and was reportedly the reason Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were left out of the limited overs team.
The test sees cones placed at opposite ends marking a distance of 20 meters. A player starts with his foot behind one of the lines, and begins running when instructed. Player continues running between the two lines, turning when signalled by the recorded beeps.
After each minute or so, the pace gets quicker. If the line is not reached in time, the player must run to the line turn and try to catch up with the pace within two more ‘beeps’. The test is stopped if the player fails to catch up with the pace within the two ends.
The entire process is software-based where the results are recorded.
The minimum ‘Yo-Yo’ score for the Indian team is 16 and upwards while skipper Virat Kohli scores around 21 in the test.
