From Yo-Yo to Bronco test: How India are raising the fitness bar

Appropriate testing and training modality must achieve uncompromising levels for dominance

- Somshuvra Laha

In all fairness, Rohit Sharma probably didn’t deserve the scrutiny that came his way when he chose to continue playing one-dayers. The numbers at least back him.

Thrice in his career has he aggregated yearly strike rates of 110 and above, all of them coming since 2022. This was also the phase when he hit a career-high 67 sixes in one year along with 131 fours, the incredulity of his hitting prowess peaking in the 2023 ODI World Cup that India nearly won. Not even in the Champions Trophy did he slow down, finishing the tournament as the only top order India batter with a strike rate of 100.

But cricket is also a lot about the optics, more so when compounded by the insecurities that come with age. Staying ahead of that curve is partially what kept the Virat Kohli bandwagon alive. There have been excruciatingly long phases where he didn’t score fluently, but the lean, mean, focused look may have helped Kohli dodge a few questions. Sharma, however, was never known to be too hung up over how he looked. Till a few airport arrival photos made him question himself.

“There was a lot of talk about him putting on weight and a few images of him coming out of the airport, so it was about changing all of that,” Abhishek Nayar, Sharma’s friend and former India assistant coach, was quoted as saying on Star Sports.

“The thought process was to do something different. Since we had time on our hands, it was not about maintaining but growth.