The ongoing Afghanistan test series in India is a historic moment for Afghanistani Cricket fans. Although not every top Indian player is playing in the series. It is an important tournament. Ace Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami is one such player who failed in Yo-Yo test. He failed to clear the yo-yo endurance test which is mandatory for Indian cricketers to pass in order to get selected. So what is this yo-yo test that is instrumental in deciding the place of a player in not only the Indian team but for other sports teams worldwide as well? Let’s find out!
What is the Yo-Yo test?
The yo-yo test or endurance test is the variation of a fitness and stamina test which needs multiple stages of examination. Jean Bangsbo, a Danish soccer physiologist coined this term and made it a part of every test series. Further, this theory is divided into two levels or version – Level 1 and Level 2. It requires continuous running and then resting for 5 seconds after every 40m runs.
The purpose of this test is to take into account the individuals drill, fitness, and stamina. Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian cricket team himself scored the highest in yo-yo endurance test which is 21. Apart from him Manish Pandey, Lokesh Rahul, and Ravindra Jadeja have achieved the cut of around 19.2 in the test. According to several reports, in the 2019 ICC World Cup, the minimum score for yo-yo test could be raised from 16.1 to 17.
Importance of yo-yo test in the Indian Cricket team:
The yo-yo test was popularly introduced amongst the Indian cricketers in 2012. Although in 2009 the beep test was introduced the yo-yo test was much more realistic to carry out to check. The endurance and fitness stamina of the players as a whole. The main intention behind prioritizing. The yo-yo test is to set a proper fitness basis so as to assure the fitness. Level of the athletes does not become a hindrance towards their optimum performance in the match.
The Yo-Yo test has become popular in several other sports recently that involve soccer, basketball, etc., to check the aerobic endurance fitness which is an essential part of any sports. Apart from the Indian cricketers, players of New Zealand is probably the fittest amongst all with an average score of 20.1, however in New Zealand, passing in the yo-yo test is not mandatory to make the team, contrary to their Indian counterparts.
Its impact is mindblowing for the players
This test ensures the stamina of the fielders and helps them grab tough catches in tough situations. The players have to go through this test every time before any Test or ODI series.
Hence in order to get qualified for the Indian Cricket team. it is very important to take up the mandatory yo-yo endurance test and score a minimum of 16.1 in both the versions of YYET, i.e., Yo-Yo Endurance Test.
Let’s hope to see all our Indian players rise higher. Achieving incredible levels of fitness, athleticism, and agility, which were present only in a handful of players in the past. Here’s to Team India winning the hearts of their fans even more in the coming future!