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Former India Legend Questions the Implementation Of the Bronco Test, Suggests An Amendment

Amogh Bodas

Last updated: September 10, 2025

4 min read

The test was recently introduced by India's strength and conditioning coach.

Just a few days after the Bronco test was introduced, former India legend Sunil Gavaskar has raised questions on the implementation of the test. Introduced by India’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux, the test focuses on testing the players’ cardiovascular strength, and is different than the Yo-Yo test, which existed.

For the past few years, the fitness criteria for selection in the India team depended on the Yo-Yo test. Along with that, the time taken by a player for completing a run of two kilometres was also considered. Though both these metrics will stay in contention, the Bronco test will also be brought to life.

Suryakumar Yadav & Co. were recently. put under the scanner for the newly introduced test in their training camp. The Indian team is is scheduled to kickstart their campaign against hosts United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai. As per reports, Arshdeep Singh was the highest scorer among fast bowlers in the Bronco Test at the Centre of Excellence earlier.

A few weeks ago, Protea star AB de Villiers spoke about the factors which make the test extremely difficult. To take those thoughts a level higher, legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar had raised his own doubts about the implementation of the newly introduced Bronco test.

India Legend Sunil Gavaskar On the Loophole In the Bronco Test

Unlike the Yo-Yo test, which was introduced a few years ago, the Bronco test does not give the players any rest in the middle of the shuttle runs. The test is used in sports like Rugby and Football to enhance the cardiovascular capacities of players. However, Sunil Gavaskar feels that each player has a different body type.

The Bronco test requires a player to make five shuttle runs from the starting point to 20, 40 and 60 metres respectively. The catch is, this needs to be done without a break, in six minutes time. In simple words, the player needs to cover a distance of 1.2 kilometres in six metres.

The 1983 World Cup winning opener voiced that these tests should be used to get a general idea about the fitness of a player. The results can then be used to determine where a player needs to improve to strengthen their body. Having said that, making the selection to the national side based on the test would be too much.

According to Gavaskar, the board needs to find ways to inspect the scores of a player based on what one specialises in. Furthermore, the 76-year-old stated that the biggest test to play for your country cannot be measured. Ultimately, it is the mindset that matters.

“Every person’s body is different, so having one standard for everybody in the squad is impossible. There has to be consideration given to the player’s speciality and allowances made for that”, wrote Gavaskar in his column.

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Why Different Skills Need To Be Judged Differently

The requirements for a bowler in terms of fitness are very different than the requirements of a batter. The amount of running that a bowler has to do in terms of sprints would be massive. On the other hand, for a batter, the challenges are different. This is primarily because of the gear that one puts on.

Furthermore, it is no secret that different skills do not come under the same umbrella in terms of fitness. And this is exactly why Gavaskar stressed on the fact that the test should take every factor into consideration.

The legend also referred to the recommendations of Justice Lodha, and how it changed the dynamics of the game in India. He stated that there was a technical committee in place, which used to take decisions like these. However, with after the changes being made, one wonders who the decision-makers in cricket are.

“The Technical Committee invariably comprised former cricketers, umpires, and Board officials. Now, to the best of knowledge, there doesn’t seem to be a committee like that, so one wonders who takes the decisions related to cricket”, concluded Gavaskar.

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