Team India players underwent a unique Rugby-style fitness drill, the Bronco Test, to prepare for their high-stakes match against Pakistan. This intense drill assesses endurance, agility, and overall fitness, differing from the traditional Yo-Yo Test.
Team India players, including vice-captain Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, and others, underwent a Rugby-style fitness drill, the Bronco Test, ahead of the high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 clash against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, September 14.
Following the commanding nine-wicket victory over the hosts, the UAE, on Wednesday, the Men in Blue gear up for the much-anticipated clash against Salman Agha-led Pakistan in Dubai. This will be the first face-off between two arch–rivals since the Pahalgam terror attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor, which was successfully carried out by the Indian Defence Forces, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
The clash between India and Pakistan is expected to grab the attention of the cricketing world, not only because of their rivalry and historical tensions between the two nations, but also because it is taking place against the backdrop of a militant attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian team undergoes new fitness drill
In order to help the Team India players be fit ahead of the Pakistan clash, the strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, had them perform the Bronco Test, a high-intensity drill designed to evaluate the players’ endurance, agility, and overall fitness levels.
In a video posted by the Indian Cricket Team (BCCI) on its Instagram handle, Indian players can be seen performing intense shuttle runs and completing multiple sets of Rugby-centric fitness drills under the guidance of a South African coach, who earlier served with Team India from 2002 to 2003, demonstrating their focus and preparation ahead of the Pakistan clash.
The Bronco Test was first introduced at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), upon the suggestion of Adrian Le Roux, who was reportedly concerned about Indian players, especially fast bowlers, spending too much time in the gym for fitness workouts rather than building on-field endurance.
The Bronco Test is much different from the Yo-Yo Test, where the players focus primarily on aerobic endurance through shuttle runs. In a Rugby-style fitness drill, a player will start off with a 20-metre shuttle run, followed by a 40-metre and a 60-metre run, which adds up to one set. The players will have to do five sets, which constitutes 1200 metres, and should be completed within six minutes without taking a break.
Why the Bronco Test is important for Indian cricketers?
India’s strength and conditioning coach, Adrian Le Roux, who introduced the Bronco Test, highlighted the importance of the fitness drill. The South African stated that the Rugby-style fitness test is not new, as it has been used for several years in different cultures. He added that the fitness drill helps him understand a player’s aerobic fitness.
“There are two main reasons we use it. First, it serves as a training mechanism. Second, it’s a good measurement tool — it helps us track where the players are in terms of aerobic fitness and whether we’re moving in the right direction,” Le Roux said in the BCCI video.
“It’s a versatile test. You can do it anywhere, on any ground, even while travelling. That makes it practical. Players can also use it to assess themselves — it’s very functional and portable,” he added.
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Team India contracted players reportedly had their hands on the Bronco Test as a mandatory fitness test at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru. It was reported that several players, including ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, completed the high-intensity drill.
The Bronco Test is completely different from the Yo Yo Tests, where the players will have to run between marks placed 20 metres apart by increasing their speed, with a 10-second break in between each 40-metre. It was reported that Yo Yo Tests have been scrapped in order to test the new fitness drill.