Team India’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux, working his second stint with the Men in Blue, spoke on the Bronco Test that has been introduced recently to test a player’s fitness.
The conversation with Roux was posted on the official website of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Bronco Test was originally made for rugby players to raise their aerobic and cardiovascular capacity. With four markers placed at 0m, 20m, 40m, and 60m, the player who runs goes from 0m to 60m, back to 0m, to 40m, back to 0m, to 20m, and finally back to 0m– covering a total of 240 m in one set. A total of five sets, i.e, 1,200 m without a break, completes this highly relentless test, as per Wisden.
Also, as per Wisden, Indian players have been asked to complete it in under six minutes.
Speaking in BCCI’s video, Roux said, “The run we did today is Bronco run. It is not a new run or a measurement. It has been around since years in different sporting codes. It is something we introduced in team’s environment. It is two-fold in use: We can use it as a training mechanism, and secondly, as a measurement. We get a good idea of where the players are in terms of their aerobic fitness and if we are moving in the right direction.”
“It is a field test. We can do it at any place, any ground around the world. As we travel, we can always use it. It allows players to assess themselves at times. So it is a very functional test that you can do any place,” he added.
Roux also said that over the last two decades or so, the amount of cricket played by players has undergone significant change, and his goal is to work on a player’s conditioning so that they can showcase their skills well.
Having worked with Team India in the early 2000s as well, he said that there are no big differences as far as his objectives of strength and conditioning are concerned.
“Cricket is a game of skill and we complement that skill with what we do, we try and help players to prolong their career. If you are physically prepared, you can play more seasons. If you look after yourself, a lot of things that we implement minimise the risk of an injury,” he said.
Roux said that his first assignment of the second stint was an “exciting” tour to England, where a new-look India under Shubman Gill put up an impressive fight to level the series 2-2.
“To see the work ethic of players, that really impressed me. The fight we showed, I was honoured to be a proud of it. I have worked in IPL for many players, and have worked with most of the players. Though it is a new team, there is some history here,” he concluded.
India will play their next match of their Asia Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 14.
