3 reasons why the return of the Yo-Yo test is good for Indian cricket

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday, January 1, reintroduced the Yo-Yo fitness test to the eligibility criteria for selection in the Indian cricket team. The decision was taken following a high-profile review meeting of the Indian cricket board.

The Yo-Yo test is an aerobic endurance fitness test. It involves running between markers, which are placed 20 meters apart, at increasing speeds. The test was first introduced during Virat Kohli's tenure as India's skipper. Besides the Yo-Yo test, a bone scan test named Dexa has also been added to the selection criteria.

"The Yo-Yo Test and Dexa will now be part of the selection criteria and implemented in the customized roadmaps of the central pool of players,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement after the meeting, which was also attended by president Roger Binny, captain Rohit Sharma, coach Rahul Dravid, NCA chief VVS Laxman, and chief selector Chetan Sharma.

In the wake of the developments at the BCCI meeting on Sunday, we look at three reasons why the return of the Yo-Yo test is good for Indian cricket.

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#1 2022 proved fitness is a massive issue with Indian cricket

Jasprit Bumrah is recovering from a back injury. Pic: Getty Images

Ever since it was first introduced to Indian cricket, the Yo-Yo test has had its backers as well as critics. However, 2022 screamed out aloud that fitness is a major issue with the Indian cricket team. India had a hugely disappointing year in 2022 across formats. One of the key reasons behind the same was the absence of big names due to injury and fitness issues.

Jasprit Bumrah played only five matches each across the three formats last year. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja hurt himself following a freak injury during the Asia Cup in the UAE. Both players, who have been two of the biggest match-winners for India lately, were forced to miss the T20 World Cup and the Indian cricket team felt their absence in a big way.

Bumrah and Jadeja have not been picked for the upcoming Sri Lanka series as well. Senior pacer Mohammed Shami has also been in and out of the side due to multiple injuries and fitness problems. Skipper Rohit Sharma has perhaps missed more games than he has played since taking over as full-time captain.

The likes of Prasidh Krishna and Yash Dayal also joined the injured Indian players club during the second half of 2022. The case of all-rounder Deepak Chahar was the most bizarre of them all. He kept getting picked for various series but was out with some injury or the other after one or two games.

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#2 Frequent rest is not the solution

Rohit Sharma was rested plenty of times in 2022, despite being an all-format captain. Pic: Getty Images

2022 was bizarre for Indian cricket in more ways than one. Although Rohit was appointed full-time captain early in the year, the team saw multiple captains taking charge across formats. Seniors like Rohit, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul were rested numerous times. The break was attributed to workload management.

However, resting big names on a frequent basis definitely cannot be considered a solution for managing the workload of players. The break literally breaks the momentum of the players and upsets the rhythm of the team, since there is a complete lack of synchronization. Frequently changing personnel doesn’t encourage team building as either

One is not aware whether Kohli, Rohit, and Rahul have been rested or dropped for the T20Is against Sri Lanka since there has been no official communication from the BCCI. However, if they are indeed rested again, it raises serious question marks about the Indian cricket team’s preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup at home.

Instead of giving senior players constant rest, the BCCI must urge them to work on their fitness so that they can play more games for the country. In that sense, the return of the Yo-Yo test makes complete sense.

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#3 Excess workload mandates greater emphasis on fitness

It is unlikely that India’s stars will be rested for IPL matches. Pic: BCCI

Following the BCCI meeting, Shah also stated:

"Keeping in mind the men's FTP and preparations for ICC CWC 2023, the NCA will work in tandem with the IPL franchisee to monitor the targeted Indian players participating in the IPL 2023.”

This basically means that the NCA and IPL franchises will have to work together to manage the workload of the players.

While the statement looks good on paper, it has been aptly clear so far that players can take rest from national duty, but not from the IPL, if they are fit enough. Rahul, Kohli, and Rohit did not miss a single match in IPL 2022, but they skipped a number of games for India.

Even as the debate over country versus money continues, the fact remains that the trend is unlikely to change. The franchises, who have paid crores to acquire the services of star players from the Indian cricket team, would be highly unwilling to rest cricketers during the IPL.

A franchise official told the Indian Express:

“The BCCI cannot ask the franchises to rest a player for any IPL game. They can of course monitor the workload and ask for any data to be shared, but they cannot fix a cap and say a certain player can play only X number of matches or can bowl only X number of overs."

To put it bluntly, Indian players will have to deal with excess workload, which automatically mandates greater emphasis on fitness and tests like Yo-Yo and Dexa.

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