Sunil Gavaskar wants the yo-yo test removed. Photo: BCCI
Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan were India's star performers with the bat in the Bengaluru Test match as other batsmen failed to score runs. Rishabh scored a magnificent 99 in the second innings while Sarfaraz scored a brilliant 150 in his comeback game. Even though India lost the Test match, these two batsmen received huge praise.
A day after the defeat, Sunil Gavaskar has asked for the removal of the yo-yo test. Writing in his column for Sportstar, the Indian legend said that the yo-yo test should be discarded and the players should be picked on how strong they are mentally.
"Rishabh Pant is another player who doesn't possess the slim waist that these fitness purists seem to want, but what an impact player he is. Let's not forget that he also keeps wickets all day, which not only requires getting up and down for around six hours of play but also running to the stumps to gather the throws," Gavaskar wrote.
"So, please discard these yoyo-yoyo tests and instead assess how strong a player is mentally. That will be a true indicator of a player's fitness. If a player can bat the whole day or bowl 20 overs in a day, he is match-fit, regardless of how slim or not his waist is."
The yo-yo test was introduced by Ravi Shastri's coaching panel in 2017 and it is still in existence. The players who failed the test were not considered for selection or were dropped from the team.
India legend Yuvraj Singh was offered a farewell game after he failed to clear the test. He did clear it later but couldn't make his return. The likes of Ambati Rayudu, Mohammed Shami and Sanju Samson (India A) were also dropped for failing the test.
India lose 1st Test against New Zealand
New Zealand ended their 36-year wait and defeated India in the first Test of the three-match series in Bengaluru. The Tom Latham-led side chased down the target of 107 at the loss of just 2 wickets. Rachin Ravindra was bestowed with the Player of the Match award for his heroics with the bat. The second Test starts on October 24.
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