A fitness endurance test named ‘Yo-Yo’ was conducted simultaneously in Kandy and at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore ahead of the declaration of the Indian squad for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka.
Yuvraj Singh, who was dropped from the 15 member squad after BCCI announced the Indian team, failed the test. He failed poorly in the test conducted at the NCA.
According to a report in ABP news, his score of around 13 in the Yo-Yo test is below the average requirement for a cricketer.
However, Yuvraj’s good old buddy MS Dhoni did outstandingly well in the Yo-Yo drill and came third overall in the ratings when compared with other players.
It is also reported that the 27-year-old Manish Pandey managed to beat captain Virat Kohli in the Team India tests, getting a reading of 19.2 on the Yo-Yo as opposed to the Delhi batsman, who notched up 19.
What is Yo-Yo Test?
The Yo-Yo test is an upgrade to the previous ‘beep’ test, which is just about running to and fro across a set distance, the advanced ‘Yo-Yo’ test makes the players pause for a short while in the middle, between each set of a run, to mimic the start-stop nature of cricket.
The software-based process starts with cones being placed 20 metres apart to mark lines. The player starts running when the count starts, traveling between the two markings, turning around when the recorded beeps make a sound.
The pace in the drill increases progressively: if the player is unable to reach the line on time, he has to turn and run to the other line to overcome the delay within the next two beeps, failing which, the test ends.