Cricket, India: A history (2017)
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Contents |
Indian cricket in 2017
The best players
January 31, 2018: The Times of India
TOISA 2018 NOMINEES: CRICKET
The third Mahindra Scorpio Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) powered by All-Out is India’s first and largest multi-discipline people’s choice sports awards. TOISA is a platform created by the Times Group to recognise and reward Indian sporting talent and achievements on a global scale and will be held soon to honour the lion hearts who have done the country proud.
AHEAD OF THE 2018 TOISA ON FEB 26, HERE’S A RECAP OF THE HOW THESE SEVEN INDIAN CRICKETERS FARED LAST YEAR...
CHETESHWAR PUJARA (Ranked No. 5 in Test cricket)
Pujara was the second-highest run-scorer in Tests in 2017 with 1140 runs (average 67.05). During the 2016-17 home season, he was the leading rungetter with 1316 @ 62.66. During his 133 v Sri Lanka at the SSC, Colombo, he became the joint third-fastest Indian to 4,000 Test runs, reaching the milestone in his 84th innings, the same as Rahul Dravid and behind Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar (81). He was man of the match against Australia in Ranchi for his 202, the longest innings by any Indian batsman in terms of balls faced, 525, as India averted defeat. Scored his 12th first-class double-hundred to break the previous Indian record of 11 set by Vijay Merchant.
JASPRIT BUMRAH (Ranked 3 in ODIs, 4 in T20Is)
India’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs and second-highest in T20Is. In 23 ODIs, took 39 wickets at 26.25 apiece, a strike-rate of 30.6 and economy of 5.13. In 11 T20Is, took 12 wickets at 20, at a strikerate of 17.3 and economy of 6.92. Won four Man-of-the-Match awards this year. Was named Man of the Series after India’s 5-0 ODI sweep of Sri Lanka and 2-1 win in the T20Is against New Zealand. In January, was Man of the Match in the Ranji Trophy semifinal as eventual winners Gujarat beat Jharkhand. Bumrah’s six wickets on the final day propelled Gujarat into the Ranji final. Earned a maiden call-up to the Test squad for the tour of South Africa.
VIRAT KOHLI (No. 1 in ODIs, No. 3 in Tests & T20Is)
Was the leading run-getter in ODIs with 1460 at 76.84 and a strike-rate of 99.11, with six centuries — the most for any team. Was the fourth-highest run-getter in Tests with 1059, average 75.64, with five centuries. India’s top scorer in T20Is scored 299 at a strikerate of 152.55, from 10 innings. Scored a total of 2818 international runs, the third most ever after Sangakkara and Ricky Ponting.
RAVINDRA JADEJA (No. 2 Test allrounder, No. 3 Test bowler)
Was India’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 54 scalps from 10 matches at an average of 23.05 and strike-rate of 56.5. Had a better average, strike rate and economy rate than India’s most successful bowler in Tests, R Ashwin (56 wickets). Also played one Test fewer. Took 71 wickets in 13 Tests during India’s busiest home season ever, and scored 556 runs at an average of 42.76. Twice Man of the Match in Tests, for roles in series-clinching wins over Australia in Dharamsala and Sri Lanka in Colombo.
HARMANPREET KAUR (Ranked No. 5 in Women’s ODI batting)
Hit a six off the second-last delivery against South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier final. Smashed a careerbest 171* off 115 balls in the Women’s World Cup semifinal, the second-highest score in ODIs for India and the highest in a WC knockout.
MITHALI RAJ (No. 1 in Women’s ODI batting rankings)
Became the first Indian cricketer, male or female, to score seven consecutive ODI fifties. Became the all-time leading run-scorer in Women’s ODIs, in her 183rd match, taking 16 innings fewer than the past record-holder Charlotte Edwards.
JHULAN GOSWAMI
(Ranked 2 in Women’s ODI bowling)
In May, became the highest wicket-taker in women’s ODIs, going past Australian Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s record of 180. Helped India finished runners-up in the Women’s World Cup with 10 wickets.
Kohli world’s best, Chahal in T20s
ICC crowns Virat samrat, names him player of 2017, January 19, 2018: The Times of India
From: ICC crowns Virat samrat, names him player of 2017, January 19, 2018: The Times of India
From: ICC crowns Virat samrat, names him player of 2017, January 19, 2018: The Times of India
See graphics:
1. The world’s best cricket players in 2017
2. The world’s best test and ODI players of 2017
In the midst of a tough South African tour, Virat Kohli had something to cheer about on Thursday. The Indian skipper dominated the ICC annual awards, clinching both the cricketer and captain of the year honours.
Kohli received the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for cricketer of the year — the second Indian in succession after R Ashwin had got it last year — and ODI cricketer of the year award. Kohli was also named the captain of both the ICC’s Test and ODI teams of the year, having led India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.
A huge honour for me: Virat
It means a lot to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and also the ICC ODI player of the rear. I won that (ODI Player of the Year award) backin 2012 alsobut it’s thefirsttime (I’m) winning the Garfield Sobers Trophy and it’s a huge honour for me. It’s probably the biggest of all in world cricket and two Indians getting it back-to-back makes it more special,” Kohlisaid.
Apart from Kohli, there were four other Indians who were picked in the ICC’s Test and ODI Teams of the Year. While the Test team featured Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Rohit Sharma found a place in theODIside.
Surprisingly, Kohli pipped Australian skipper Steve Smith for the ICC’s Testteam captaincy. Smithhad led his team to a dominating 4-0 win over England in theAshes.
Smith, however, claimedtheTest Player of the Year award after scoring 1,875 runs in 16 matches at an average of 78.12, with eight hundreds and five 50s.
Kohlibecame thefirst non-South African since 2013 to win the ODI Cricketer of the Year award. Quinton deKock receivedthe accoladefor 2016 and AB de Villiers won it in 2014 and 2015. Smith, meanwhile, beat off competition from last year’s winner Ashwin, who took 111 wickets at 25.87, Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored 1,914 runs, Kohli and Ben Stokes, who hit1,000 runs at 40.00 and took35wickets at 27.68. Among other awards, Yuzvendra Chahal’s incredible haul of six for 25 against England in Bengaluru last year, was named as Twenty20 International performanceof the year.
900-point landmark:Kohlihas become only the second India batsman after Sunil Gavaskar to reach the 900- point mark in thelatestICCPlayer Rankings for Testbatsmen Gavaskar had achieved the milestone in his50thTestwhen hescored 13 and 221at The Oval in 1979 to jump from 887 points to 916 points, which remainedhiscareer-best.
Team wanted BCCI to tweak SL series or cancel the T20Is
From Nov 11 to Dec 24, 2017, the Indian team hosted Sri Lanka for a 44-day-long tour that involved three Test matches, three ODIs and three T20Is. This series concluded three days before India were scheduled to leave for South Africa.
The players who had only two months ago toured Sri Lanka for an equally long series nor the Indian team management were interested in these games. The BCCI still went ahead and scheduled the tour simply because there was a commitment made post confirmation that Pakistan’s tour of India – scheduled during this time under the existing Future Tours Program – was not going to see the light of the day.
The Indian team and the team management had conveyed to the BCCI that it needed to tweak the series against Sri Lanka – by either cancelling the three T20 matches or by replacing the Test series with six ODIs at best – so that the team could be free at least two weeks earlier than what turned out to be the case.
The BCCI may have given the team the offer to head early to South Africa but the latter was convinced that there was no point in one or two individuals heading there early. Those in the know of things told TOI: “The entire team wanted to travel together”.
The India camp is expressing surprise at BCCI’s lack of empathy towards serious requests that had been made to ensure that “inconsequential cricket” is cut down as much as possible and players are given the necessary breaks, especially ahead of long overseas tours. It is for this reason that Team India took a call on its own to rest all-rounder Hardik Pandya during the series against Sri Lanka.
The Team India camp finds it a bit of a joke that unnamed BCCI officials thought it by themselves that sending one or two players in advance could’ve sorted things. “What purpose does it solve to send Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane alone? A team stays together and that’s what the focus was. As for the practice game, well, they (Cricket South Africa) offered us two lame tracks for the warm-up game and it made more sense to do our own thing instead of playing an odd game for the sake of it,” says the Team India camp.
2016-17 season
Injuries, 2016-17 season
See graphic:
Injuries, 2016-17
2016-17 season: The workload of bowlers
See graphic.
Australia: Test series, 2017
Controversies
Mar 29 2017: The Times of India
A `FIGHTING' SERIES The India-Oz Test series will also be remembered for all the controversies it generated.
ISHANT-SMITH CLASH:
On Day Two of the second Test in Bangalore, pacer Ishant Sharma had everyone in splits after making a monkey face to unsettle Australian captain Steve Smith, who wasn't amused.
CHEATGATE:
During the second innings of the second Test, Australian captain Steve Smith, after being declared out lbw, looked towards his partner Peter Handscomb and then towards the dressing room for help in seeking a DRS review. Smith later termed it as a `brainfade.' Kohli, however, virtually called the Aussies `cheats,'. A furious Australian team boycotted the BCCI awards which were held a day after the Test. The Indian Board lodged a complaint against Smith, but within 24 hours, withdrew it following a meeting between the CEOs of Cricket Australia (James Sutherland) and BCCI (Rahul Johri). While both the boards signed the truce, there was no peace between the teams as Smith and the others in the Aussie camp rubbished Kohli's allegations.Sutherland then provided a comical end to the truce by saying that Kohli doesn't know how to say sorry!
SMITH ABUSES VIJAY:
On Day 3 of the Dharamshala Test, cameras caught Smith abusing Indian opener Murali Vijay, calling him a “f*****g cheat“ after the latter claimed a catch even as replays showed that the ball had touched the ground.
WADE SLEDGES JADEJA:
On Day 3 at Dharamshala, Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade sledged Ravindra Jadeja while he was batting. “Gary (Nathan Lyon's nickname) you are the best in all conditions. You are not a one trick pony',“ Wade said. Jadeja complained to the umpire. Later, Smith expressed “disappointment“ with the BCCI for uploading a video of the altercation.
Coach Kumble: the controversy
Were Kumble's off-field interests the issue?
K ShriniwasRao, Kumble's off-field interests bone of contention?, June 3, 2017: The Times of India
Issues Between Captain And Coach Secondary, Says BCCI Official
In the middle of all the Virat Kohli-Anil Kumble face-off on matters strictly related to cricket, there lies a report prepared and submitted by the latter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that has simmered to a boil these last two weeks.
The presentation made by Kumble to the BCCI, primarily to the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which has been supervising the day-to-day functioning of the board, touches upon “abstract“ financial models based on which the former India legend suggested “superfluous pay hikes“ for cricketers across age groups, tournaments and formats a model that, in the view of a senior BCCI official “absolutely lacks science“.
“He and Virat have issues but tell me, which working relationship works without either or both parties not getting along at some point. That's the nature of a healthy working relationship. That's the beauty of ideas clashing,“ the senior official told TOI, adding that “it is Kumble's interests off-the-field that have become the bone of contention“.
“Virat is only maintaining his distance.He doesn't have a problem with who the coach is. Of course, he has his views but what he necessarily wants is a longer term for the coach and a vision going forward,“ the official says.
TOI accessed details of the presentation made by Kumble to the BCCI on payhikes, which in the words of this official “touches the holy grail“.
The ex-India cricketer's proposed paystructure would stand to cause BCCI an outflow of close to Rs 150 crore. “If you take the crux of what Kumble has presented, that's the kind of figure it churns out. And that figure cannot be compensated unless you include the Indian Premier League (IPL) revenue in the 26% of BCCI domestic revenue that is reserved for cricketers. “That cannot happen. The IPL is a separate business model and cricketers participating in the IPL are adequately reimbursed. Kumble's logic is not only flawed but dangerous,“ the official said.
The presentation highlights the top-line numbers in terms of revenues without going into the details of how those numbers were arrived at in the first place. Kumble's presentation demands 26% of those revenues. “If you take the net effect of those numbers, the amount is staggering and there's no science to it. There are certain things BCCI is fine with, like captain should get 25% more, which is okay, because the captain's responsibilities are also bigger.
“But what is not warranted is the demand for bonuses that the presentation highlights. If India is ranked number one, team should get more. There should be bonuses on winning a game or a series.There should be salary hike when playing against top-ranked teams. There should be hikes in graded contracts based on a redefined model. And those numbers are faulty,“ says the official. Sources in the know of things say Kohli distanced himself from the presentation that Kumble made to the CoA.
“Every skipper has his own way of doing things. Mahi bhai had his way and Virat has his own. The whole thing about he and Anil not getting along has been played up only from a cricketing perspective, but there's more to it,“ say sources in the Team India camp, not wanting to get into details ahead of what is an important game on Sunday .
As far as cricket is concerned, sources say, here is when the first crack appeared in the captain-coach relationship: In August 2016, when India were in the middle of winning a four-Test series in the West Indies 2-0, Virat made certain changes to the playing XI going into the third Test match that Anil his first series as coach wasn't in tune with. A batsman was included in the middle-order, at the insistence of the skipper, and the idea of retaining an opener, one that the coach insisted, was done away with.
“Ever since, that's been a bone of contention,“ says the source.
Guha's resignation over handling of coach Kumble
Guha flays `superstar culture' while exiting top cricket panel, June 3, 2017: The Times of India
Like a memorable cameo innings, historian Ra machandra Guha's stint with the committee of administrators (CoA) has proved to be short but impactful. Guha's resignation letter, which became public on Friday , is a scathing indictment of inaction over rampant conflicts of interest, a “superstar culture gone berserk“, callous treat Kohli may not get to ment of domestic players, and “extremely insensitive and unprofessional“ handling of Team India coach Anil Kumble, among other issues. Guha came down heavily on stalwarts of Indian cricket in his letter. “The superstar culture that afflicts BCCI means that the more famous the player, the more leeway he is allowed in violating norms and procedures,“ he wrote. In his resignation letter, Ra machandra Guha took on MS Dhoni's Grade-A status, ques tioned Sunil Gavaskar's direct conflict of interest and even in directly took a dig at Rahul Dravid's dual role in both the BCCI and IPL and Sourav Ganguly's role as a commentator while being the president of a state association. He also suggested that he be replaced on the CoA with a male cricketer with administrative experience, recommending former India pacer Javagal Srinath's name.
Asking to be relieved of his duties, Guha said he had submitted his resignation to the Supreme Court on Thursday . TOI had reported on Friday that Guha, who was one of the four members in the CoA, including Vikram Limaye and Diana Edulji, decided to quit over Kumble not being given an automatic extension.
“The Indian team's record this past season has been excellent; and even if the players garner the bulk of the credit, surely the head coach and his support staff also get some,“ wrote Guha, “In a system based on justice and merit, the head coach's term would have been extended. Instead, Kumble was left hanging, and then told the post would be re-advertised afresh. The issue has been handled in an extremely insensitive and unprofessional manner by the BCCI CEO and the BCCI officebearers, with the COA, by its silence and inaction, unfortunately being complicit in this regard.“
“If indeed the captain and the head coach were not getting along, why was coach were not getting along, why was this not attended to as soon as the Australia series was over in late March?
Why was it left until the last minute, when a major international tournament was imminent,“ wondered Guha.
Criticising Virat Kohl's influence in the Indian dressing room without naming the Indian skipper, Guha said: “Surely, giving senior players the impression that they may have a veto power over the coach is another example of the superstar culture gone berserk? Such a veto power is not permitted to any other top level professional team in any other sport in any other country .
“Already, in a dismaying departure from international norms, current Indian players enjoy a veto power on who can be the members of the commentary team. If it is to be coaches next, then perhaps the selectors and even office-bearers will follow?“ Guha added.
Guha said that the Indian cricket's superstar syndrome has also distorted the system of Indian team contracts.In reference to Dhoni's status, he wrote, “Awarding MS Dhoni an ` A' contract when he had explicitly ruled himself out from all Test matches was indefensible on cricketing grounds, and sends absolutely the wrong message“.
Guha also questioned the conflict of interest of former captains.Whereas he directly named Gavaskar -who gets around Rs 3.51 lakh per day from the board for 60 days in a year he took an indirect swipe at both Dravid and Ganguly .
“I have also repeatedly pointed to the anomaly whereby BCCI-contracted commentators simultaneously act as player agents,“ he wrote, continuing, “Sunil Gavaskar is head of a company which represents Indian cricketers while commenting on those crickters as part of the BCCI TV commentary panel. This is a clear conflict of interest. Either he must step downwithdraw himself from PMG completely or stop being a commentator for BCCI.“
Without naming Dravid, he wrote, “No person under contract with an India team, or with the NCA, should be allowed to moonlight for an IPL team too,“ he wrote. Dravid doubles up as coach of India ` A' and Under-19 teams and is the mentor of IPL franchise, Delhi Daredevils.
“One cannot have dual loyalties of this kind and do proper justice to both.National duty must take precedence over club affiliation,“ he added.
Guha took a dig at Ganguly too.“Conflict of interest is rampant in the state associations as well. One famous former cricketer is contracted by media houses to comment on active players while serving as president of his state association,“ he pointed out.
“Others have served as officebearers in one association and simultaneously as coaches or managers in another. The awarding of business contracts to friends and relatives by office-bearers is reported to be fairly widespread. Had we been more proactive in stopping conflict of interest within the BCCI (as per Lodha Committee recommendations, endorsed by the court), this would surely have had a ripple effect downwards, putting pressure on state associations to clean up their act as well.“
Guha also criticised BCCI officebearers who aren't ready to quit their posts. “I believe it was a mistake for the CoA to have stayed silent and inactive when the Supreme Court judgement was being so flagrantly violated by people clearly disqualified to serve as office-bearers of state and even BCCIrun cricket bodies. The disqualified men were openly attending BCCI meetings, claiming to represent their state association. Yet the CoA did not bring them to the notice of the court, and did not issue clear directions asking the offenders to desist either,“ he said.
Guha’s allusions interpreted
The Times of India, Jun 03 2017 1 CONFLICT OF INTEREST UNADDRESSED
BCCI has accorded preferential treatment to some national coaches, by giving them ten month contracts for national duty, thus allowing them to work as IPL coaches mentors for the remaining two months. This was done in an adhoc and arbitrary manner; the more famous the former player-turned-coach, the more likely was the BCCI to allow him to draft his own contract that left loopholes that he exploited to dodge the conflict of interest issue.
No person under contract with an India team, or with the NCA, should be allowed to moonlight for an IPL team too.
2 COMMENTATORS ACTING AS PLAYER AGENTS
Repeatedly pointed to the anomaly whereby BCCI-contracted commentators simultaneously act as player agents. Sunil Gavaskar is head of a company which represents Indian cricketers while commenting on those crickters as part of the BCCI TV commentary panel. Had we been more proactive in stopping conflict of interest within the BCCI (as per Lodha Committee recommendations, endorsed by the Court), this would surely have had a ripple effect downwards, putting pressure on State Associations to clean up their act as well.
3 SYSTEM OF CONTRACTS DISTORTED
A superstar syndrome has distorted the system of Indian team contracts. Awarding MS Dhoni an `A' contract when he had explicitly ruled himself out from all Test matches was indefensible on cricketing grounds.
4 HAM-HANDED TREATMENT OF KUMBLE'S CONTRACT
The handling of Anil Kumble, the current Head Coach of the senior team, contract has been poor. The team's record this past season has been excellent and in a system based on justice and merit, the coach's term would have been extended. Instead, Kumble was left hanging, and then told the post would be readvertised afresh. Giving senior players the impression that they may have a veto power over the coach is another example of superstar culture gone berserk.
5 CALLOUS TREATMENT OF DOMESTIC CRICKET
Cricketers who represent their state in the Ranji Trophy, the Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and other inter-state tournaments, are poorly paid. Ranji match fees have remained at a very low level (just Rs 30,000 odd for each day of play). Revenue generated from the IPL should be used to make domestic players more financially secure. Also, to have a consistently strong Test team, a robust inter-state competition is needed and therefore we must compensate domestic players better.
6 EX-BCCI MEMBERS REFUSING TO QUIT
It was a mistake for the COA to have stayed silent and inactive when the Supreme Court judgment was being so flagrantly violated by people clearly disqualified to serve as office bearers of state and even BCCI run cricket bodies.
7 MALE CRICKETER IN COA
The absence of a respected male cricketer in the COA has attracted a great deal of criticism, much of it from important stakeholders in Indian cricket. It must be addressed and remedied. Javagal Srinath would be an excellent choice.
Indian Cricket Team, in the world
March 2017: India no.1 test team
See graphic. In March 2017 India was the world’s no.1 team in test cricket
2017, Sri Lanka series: India dominated
Archiman Bhaduri, India savour unprecedented whitewash, September 8, 2017: The Times of India
Sri Lanka Coach Pothas Likens Virat's Bunch To Rugby's All Blacks
As the Indian squad lined up to click pictures after completing a rare tour sweep, dejected Sri Lankan players slipped out of the field with their heads down, almost unnoticed. The mood summed up India's six-week tour of Sri Lanka that concluded at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Wednesday . For India it was as good as it gets, having won every match on the tour. Skipper Virat Kohli was obviously ecstatic over his team's show. “It (the whitewash across all three for mats) hadn' t been achieved before,“ he said.
India completely dominated Sri Lanka during the entire tour. But more than the trophies that the team will take back home, Kohli will cherish the newfound confidence that should help Team India scale new heights. Besides, the team management will be pleased that the experimentations it carried out in the course of the ODI series largely proved to be successful.
“Credit to the boys. Our bench strength is good. We tried a few things and the results have been amazing,“ Kohli said.
Team India's dominance also drew praise from the rival camp with Sri Lanka's coach Nic Pothas comparing Kohli's brigade with New Zealand's famous All Blacks rugby team. “They (India) are very All Blacks-like,“ Pothas said.“They are ruthless in the way they go about their work. Their work ethic is immense,“ he stated.
India's work ethic was on view in every game. In spite of not being up against the strongest oppositions, the Indian players never lacked intensity on the field. There were odd occasions when Sri Lanka had the upper hand, but Indian players showed tremendous character and skill to pull the team out of trouble. Kohli not only emerged as the highest run-getter in the ODI series but his leadership too was inspirational.
“He leads from the front with the bat and even while fielding.Wherever he is fielding, he gives it his all. So it is a motivation for youngsters like me to see him on the field and training hard in the nets,“ chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav said.
Apart from the youngsters, it was a series to remember for Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He once again silenced the critics by proving his worth, both behind the stumps and with the bat. The wicketkeeperbatsman, who remained unbeaten in the ODIs as well as the lone T20I, was instrumental in rescuing his team in at least three matches -pairing up with Bhuvneshwar Kumar to snatch victory from jaws of defeat in the second ODI besides sharing match-winning partnerships with Rohit Sharma (3rd ODI) and Manish Pandey (4th ODI).
The only player to miss out of the run feast in this series was KL Rahul. The Karnataka batsman managed just 28 runs in four matches with 17 being his highest score here. More importantly , he was dismissed thrice by Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya.
But for a fine 63 in the fifth ODI, Kedar Jadhav too struggled with the bat even though he was handy with the ball. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who struggled to get early breakthroughs, redeemed himself with a maiden five-wicket haul in the fifth ODI besides notching up his maiden half-century in the second ODI to see India home in Dhoni's company .
Ajinkya Rahane failed to grab the lone opportunity he got in fifth and final ODI, but Manish Pandey chipped in with useful contributions in the three matches he played, including the lone T20I 50
December 2017/ India’s 37 victories are next only to Australia’s 38
From: December 25, 2017: The Times of India
See graphic:
Victories- Australia, India, Pakistan, as on December 25, 2017; India's 2017 record- Test, ODIs, T20s, as on December 25, 2017
Number of international matches played
From [ The Times of India ]
See graphic: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other major cricketing nations: The Number of international matches played Nov 2016- Nov 2017
ODIs
July-Sept 2017: 9 consecutive victories
From The Times of India, September 25, 2017
See graphic, 'India’s 9 consecutive ODI victories, July-Sept 2017 '
June 2016- Dec 2017: India’s leading batsmen and bowlers
From The Times of India
See graphic, 'June 2016- Dec 2017: India’s leading batsmen and bowlers '
The Yo-Yo endurance test
Yuvi, Raina out for failing `Yo-Yo' test?, August 17, 2017: The Times of India
The failure to clear the `Yo-Yo' endurance test at the National Cricket Academy was the primary reason why Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were not considered for the Sri Lanka limited overs series.
The Indian team regularly undergoes a series of fitness tests with `Yo-Yo' endurance test being the most important of them. It is an advanced version of the `beep' test that was used by earlier Indian teams. The current team is considered to be the fittest by a distance.
It has been learnt that for the current Indian team, the acceptable `Yo-Yo' score is 19.5 and upwards. Captain Virat Kohli, easily the fittest Indian cricketer, scores around 21 in the test. However both Yuvraj and Raina have scored well below the permissible level of 19.5 with Yuvraj barely managing to touch 16, which was the biggest reason for his ouster.
“The current team thinktank, coach Ravi Shastri, skipper Virat Kohli and chairman of selectors MSK Prasad have made it clear that fitness standards are non-negotiable. “On an average, the Australian cricketers score 21 in a Yo-Yo test.Here Virat, Ravindra Jadeja, Manish Pandey regularly hit that score while others are either touching 19.5 or higher,“ a BCCI official said.
“In the 1990s, when the beep test was in vogue, the players like Azharuddin would have scored around 16 to 16.5,“ he added.
The test
Cones are placed to mark out two lines 20 metres apart. A player starts with his foot behind one of the lines, and begins running when instructed.
The player continues running between the two lines, turning only after being signalled by the beeps.
After each minute, 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 ands the results are recorded.
See also
Cricket, India: A history (2016) and other individual years
Cricket, India: A history (2017)
