To ensure top Indian cricketers maintain a high level of fitness and improve their aerobic capacity, the rugby-centric Bronco Test — involving multiple shuttle runs of 20 metres, 40 metres and 60 metres — has been introduced.
The Indian Express understands the suggestion came from the Indian team’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux who also wants the fast bowlers to clock more running miles instead of being gym-focused. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is also on the same page.
This comes after the five-Test series in England during which the fitness levels of a couple of fast bowlers were found not up to scratch while only pacer Mohammed Siraj played in every match.
Some of the top players have already taken the Bronco Test at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI’s) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The BCCI already has in place a Yo-Yo Test and a 2-kilometre time trial as fitness tests for top cricketers.
What’s the Bronco Test?
In the Bronco Test, a player starts off with a 20-metre shuttle run, followed by a 40m one and a 60m run, which constitutes one set.
A player is required to do five such sets which adds up to 1,200 meters without taking a break. The Indian players have been asked to complete the Bronco Test in six minutes.
Le Roux joined the Indian team as strength and conditioning coach in June. He held the same position with the Indian team from January 2002 to May 2003 and also had stints with Cricket South Africa and IPL teams Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings.
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What the Bronco Test looks like
Why the Bronco Test?
“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. 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,” a source said.
In the 2-km time trial, the benchmark for fast bowlers was 8 minutes and 15 seconds. For batsmen, wicket-keepers and spinners, it was 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
The Yo-Yo-Test involves running between markers placed 20 meters apart, at increasing speeds, with a 10-second break between each 40-metre run. The minimum Yo-Yo level for the Indian team was set at 17.1.
