New Delhi. If anyone wants to have a proof of fitness in cricket, they should watch the India-New Zealand test match. In that game, India were saved from defeat by two such players whose fitness even the most die-hard fans would hardly praise. When it comes to fitness, physical structure alone is often preferred. If there is fat on the waist or stomach, questions about fitness arise. Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant’s game completely rejects such questions.

Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant formed a 177-run partnership against New Zealand as India were in danger of suffering an innings defeat. India, who scored 46 runs in the first innings of the Bengaluru Test, also lost 3 wickets for 231 runs in the second innings. After that, Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant took India to 408 runs. However, the hard work of these two batsmen was undone by the late batsmen.

If you want to win, let’s go towards the spin track… India remembered their old strength in the do-or-die game against New Zealand

Sarfaraz Khan was out after scoring 150 runs and Rishabh Pant was out after scoring 99 runs. Both batsmen played brilliant innings on a wicket that was slightly different from India’s traditional pitches. There was more bounce here than on the normal pitches in India. You will get more bouncy wickets on the Australian tour. In such a situation, if the failure of other batsmen is a cause for concern for India, then Sarfaraz and Rishabh Pant also give hope.

Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant have shown that regular fitness and sports fitness are two different things. When it comes to athletic fitness, mental strength is a more important requirement. The selectors should also find a way to give preference to mentally strong players. There is no doubt that one of the reasons for Sarfaraz Khan’s late entry into Team India is that he was not fit in the eyes of those who have to make decisions. Whenever Sarfaraz scored runs, his weight was also visible.

Why not just Sarfaraz Khan, take Rishabh Pant? This player does not have a slim personality. But this player is the wicketkeeper of Team India. Who does sit-ups about 600 times a day during a Test match and runs to the wicket pass to collect throws about 150 or 200 times.

Time to say goodbye to the yo-yo test
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar writes in his column in Sportsstar that now is the time to prioritize sports fitness over the yo-yo test. When a batsman can bat all day. If a bowler can bowl 20 overs in a day, he is fit. It is not necessary for all fitness to be determined through a yo-yo test. Furthermore, the selectors should also give importance to mental fitness while selecting the team as this ultimately proves to be the most important factor in the success of a player or a team.

Tags: India vs New Zealand, Rishabh pants, Sarfaraz Khan, Team India