Here are the fitness drills you need to crack to feature in the Indian Team

Fitness is something paramount if one desires to feature into the Indian team. With Virat Kohli’s affinity towards fitness, it has become even more so difficult for the un-fit to break into the Indian squad. For ages, the Indians were associated with produced sloppy fielders, who helped ball escort to the boundary and slow runners between wickets.

However, it all changed in the last decade or so, with MS Dhoni attempt to inject youth and fresh legs into the Indian team. With the age of Virat Kohli, the emphasis on fitness has only exaggerated. That said, let us look at the fitness drills one must ace in order to feature in the Indian team.

1. Aerobic Fitness

While playing the game of cricket, many a player have been exposed to fatigue due to excessive heat and dehydration. The likes of Matthew Wade and Peter Handscomb have recently faced the brunt of hot and humid conditions in Asia. With the help of Aerobic drills, one can withstand heat stress while playing under the sun throughout the day, thereby, enabling them to reduce fatigue and playing for long periods of time.

(a) Bleep/Shuttle Running Test

The video shows the All Blacks drill known as the Bleep Test which is similar to the Yo-Yo Test, which tests the endurance of the players. In Shuttle running one has to run to and fro in straight lines between two points at tapering intervals of time. Failure to make it through to in the requisite time would result in elimination until the last man stands.

(b) Cycle Tests/Astrand-Rhyming Cycle Ergometer Test

The client would perform one six-minute sub-maximal exercise stage of a standardized work rate at 50rpm. The procedure requires an exercise heart rate between 125 and 175 bpm. If the clients hear rate is not above 125 bpm, the workload has to be increased for another six minutes.

But, if the heart rate goes above 170 bpm, the workload has to be decreased for another 6 minutes. The client would perform one six-minute sub-maximal exercise stage of a standardized work rate at 50rpm. The procedure requires an exercise heart rate between 125 and 175 bpm.

If the clients hear rate is not above 125 bpm, the workload has to be increased for another six minutes. But, if the heart rate goes above 170 bpm, the workload has to be decreased for another 6 minutes.

(c) 12-minute Cooper Run Test

The primary objective of the 12 minute Cooper Run Test is to monitor the development of the aerobic endurance of the athletes by obtaining their VO2max.

2. Flexibility

Flexibility is one of the key aspects necessary for the cricketers. With greater flexibility, greater is the range of the players to play those audacious cricketing shots over the wicket keepers and short fine leg’s head. Also, flexibility remains important if we look at the fielders taking quick reflex catches in close quarters.

Sit and Reach Flexibility Test

3. Strength and Power

With the advent of  T20 Cricket, players hitting the gymnasium to increase their power to hit those big shots and deliver balls at a lightning pace. The likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are renowned to lift heavy weights which enables them to hit those 100-metres monsters. Here’s a look at the duo working hard at the gym.

Here’s a look at the strength and power conditioning fielding drills adopted by the Indian Team.

4. Body Fat

Higher the percentage of body fat in the body, greater the force it takes for the athlete to move freely around, which at the end of the day hampers athlete’s abilities.

5. Balance

Balance becomes an important factor in cricket when it comes to avoid stumping oneself or take those catches on the boundaries, without touching the rope. Here’s a drill which can improve balance.

6. Speed and Agility

Speed and agility become paramount during bowler’s run-ups, fielders restricting singles in the 30-yard circles during powerplays or batsman sneaking singles, converting singles into doubles and doubles into triples. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are the masters of running between the wicket. Here’s a drill which improves speed and agility.

Thus, like Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri mentioned, if one fulfils all the above-mentioned parameters, there’s no stopping them into the Indian Team.