It is an irony ~ CSK
won the IPL with a team of oldies, which at the start seemed that most of them
may not be fit enough for longer versions of the game – yet they excelled !! A yo-yo is a toy consisting of an axle connected to
two disks, and a string looped around the axle. It has some similarities to a slender
spool ~ but that name is dreaded, at
least by some Indian cricketers. Can you
identify this tattooed Indian cricketer ??
In sports parlance, Yo-Yo is a variation of the Beep test, a
running aerobic fitness routine that Indian cricketers had to undergo in the
past. But passing Beep was not mandatory for selection as is the case with
Yo-Yo. Ambati Rayudu was left out of the one-day squad for the England tour in
July after failing the test. Yo-Yo probes a sportsperson’s endurance and
ability to pace himself; towards the end of the maximal running aerobic fit. The dreaded ‘Yo-Yo’ tests the players capabilities and not their
talents – the test requires players to pace themselves methodically — starting
with a modest jog to the eventual gut-busting sprint — as they shuttle back and
forth between two rows of cones kept 20 metres apart. Each run needs to be
timed with the three beeps that are played in the background. These are the
signals for start, turn and finish. With the timing between the beeps
constantly decreasing, each subsequent 40m circuit requires more speed. Getting
beaten twice by the beep means the end of the test. The
final score is determined by the laps completed and the speed gathered.
It is stated that for
starters, the Indian cricketers have been asked to achieve a basic score, but
gradually the fitness bar will be raised. “On the yo-yo scale, the grade needed
to be achieved is 16.1, which is the minimum standard set for an elite
international sportsman. The players have been informed of such parameters and
most current players have already achieved this standard. In case of any
exceptions, we’ve given them sufficient time to raise their fitness levels.” A former member of the
Indian coaching staff said the team management should keep in mind that aerobic
endurance can’t be the only criterion for selection. “The yo-yo test can’t be
the only criterion to test a cricketer’s fitness. It’s a skill-based sport.
There’s so much mental stamina that’s required too,” he said, adding that many
of the past legends would have failed the test. True can one imagine
putting the likes of Erapalli Prasanna, Bishan Bedi, Gundappa Viswanath,
Vengsarkar, Ashok Malhotra and more going through this – is it not the talent
that is material ? – Kapil Dev could be a stand out by any testing parameter !
After that mind-wracking loss
at Edgbaston, the scene now shifts to Lord’s the most famous Cricket ground
which many not be drier. Ben Stokes, who
changed the fortunes in the last innings would miss having somehow messed up in swing-friendly
conditions despite the availability of their best bowling resources. The
conditions are expected to favour India more at Lord's, where the pitch wore a
green look two days out but is expected to be drier. India have more spin
options, and their best new-ball bowler is injured. Despite the failure to win
the first Test, India have positives to look at. India's bowling, while still
not consistently of the match-winning variety in these conditions, looks better
and deeper than it often does. If it doesn't fall apart, it will keep them more
competitive than if only their batting was working.
England
made one change the day after the Test, partly to deny R Ashwin so many
left-hand batsmen to feast on, partly as a response to Dawid Malan's form with
the bat and in the slips. The 20-year-old promising right-hand batsman Ollie
Pope has been confirmed to make his debut. Stokes would miss for different
reason ! - Ben Stokes has been described as "the main aggressor"
in an incident that left a man with a fractured eye socket on the third day of
his trial at Bristol Crown Court. Stokes, who is standing trial for affray
alongside Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, was described as "trying to get at
another individual" by Mark Spure, an off-duty member of the police force,
who witnessed part of the incident. Spure, who works for Avon and Somerset
constabulary as a PCSO (police and community support officer), told the court
he "saw a group of people fighting" as he made his way home at the
end of a night out. He said he attempted to get between Stokes and Ryan Ali as
Stokes appeared to be "the main aggressor" but, as he did so, Stokes
punched Ali "with a clenched fist." Ali, Spure said, was "trying
to back away or move away from the situation" before the punch was thrown.
In U19
WC in Bangladesh, Gideron Pope was one
of the most talked-about players due to his big-hitting in the first ten overs.
Mayank Dagar, too made fine impression with 11 wickets at 9.36. He came into
the XI only after India's first two matches. From there he was India's only
specialist spinner till the final and he picked at least two wickets in each of
his four matches. The left-arm spinner used flight and dip often to beat the
batsmen and played a major role in stifling oppositions by finishing with an
economy rate of 2.88. This year, Dagar
was picked up by the Kings XI Punjab in the auction for his base price (20
lakhs). A classical left-arm offspinner who plies his trade for Himachal
Pradesh, Dagar has been brought up under
the tutelage of his uncle Virender Sehwag.
Just as
Indian team were announced for England/ Ireland tour, Ambati Rayudu, Sanju
Samson had to be dropped for not clearing YoYo test. Himachal Pradesh and Kings XI Punjab player
Mayank Dagar recently cleared the Yo-Yo fitness test with reportedly one of the
best scores by any Indian player. It is mandatory to score 16.1 in the test to
clear the test. Last year Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey were the top scorers in
test. While the Indian captain managed to score 19, Pandey trumped him with
19.2. It seems Dagar reportedly had surpassed them with yo-yo test score of
19.3. The 21 year old very good looking
spinner Mayank Dagar is a fitness-freak and could make a big impact in the
years to come.
All the
best youngster
With regards
– S. Sampathkumar
8th
Aug 2018.
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