The BCCI is set to introduce the Bronco Test, a rugby-style fitness drill to assess Indian cricketers’ endurance, speed, and stamina. Complementing the Yo-Yo Test and 2km run, it strengthens fitness benchmarks for team selection and performance.
The fitness levels of Indian cricketers are expected to go through a rigorous evaluation like never before, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) set to introduce the Rugby-centric Bronco Test, which is likely to assess the endurance, speed, and stamina of the players. Branco Test will be an addition to the Yo-Yo Test and 2 km run, which are already standard measures of the players’ aerobic fitness and overall conditioning.
The fitness of the players has been the utmost priority for the selectors and team management, ensuring peak performance on the field. During Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s tenure as captain and coach, respectively, fitness became a cornerstone of the Indian team’s strategy, with rigorous training and strict benchmarks setting new benchmarks for Indian cricket.
The selection for Team India is not only based on performance in domestic cricket and IPL, but also on meeting the fitness standards set by the team management. The players under consideration for the squad selection will have to undergo a fitness test in order to get clearance, with those failing to meet the benchmark risking exclusion from the squad.
What’s the Bronco Test?
According to a report by The Indian Express, the suggestion for the Bronco Test came from India’s strength and conditioning Adrian le Roux, who wants the pacers to clock more running miles rather than being gym-focused. le Roux suggested the Rudby-centric training method after reportedly observing that the fitness levels couple of pacers were not up to the mark during the five-match Test series against England.
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. This test is likely to push the players’ stamina, endurance, and speed to new levels, further setting the fitness benchmark in Indian cricket while providing a clearer picture to the Team India management of the players’ overall fitness levels and match readiness.
BCCI CoE introduced the Bronco Test
As per the report by the Indian Express, the source close to BCCI stated that the Bronco Test has already been introduced at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, and a few contracted Indian cricketers have already undergone the new fitness test. Players have been reportedly told to spend more time running rather than at the gym.
“The Bronco Test has been introduced at the Centre of Excellence. Some of India’s contracted players have travelled to Bengaluru and have taken the test. The Bronco Test is being used to ensure there are clear fitness standards,” the source told the TIE.
“Also, it was noticed that Indian cricketers, more so the fast bowlers, were not running enough and spending too much time in the gym. Players have been told that they will have to do more running,” the source added.
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The Bronco Test is different from the 2-km trail and the Yo-Yo Test. In a 2-km trail, the fast bowlers will have to complete the run in 8 minutes and 15 seconds, while wicketkeepers, batters, and spinners are expected to complete it in 8 minutes and 30 seconds, making it a standard measure of their aerobic capacity and endurance. In the Yo Yo Test, 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
In the Yo Yo Test, the players will have to achieve a score of 17.1 or above to meet the national team’s fitness benchmark. The Bronco Test is currently in the trial phase, and the BCCI is likely to introduce the new fitness drill based on the performance results of its players and its effectiveness in improving endurance, speed, and overall match fitness.