If we ever needed proof that there can never be just one standard of fitness in sports, it was provided in the first Test match against New Zealand in Bangalore. The two players, whose waists even the most ardent fans wouldn’t call super slim, put up a hilarious partnership of 177 to save India from the blush of an innings defeat. Adding to the frustration that their heroics were in vain, subsequent batsmen simply did not have the skill or temperament to deal with pitches different from the low-bound pitches they had dominated. It was just that.
In fact, seeing how Indian batsmen struggled in Chennai (although there was some rebound there as well) and now in Bangalore makes me wonder what’s in store for them in Australia. That’s for sure. Even the flattest pitches have more bounce than regular Indian surfaces. That being said, the Kingfisher ball should be a hitter’s friend. After a dozen overs, there is almost no seam movement and batting becomes much easier.
Despite scoring hundreds of runs in domestic cricket, Sarfaraz Khan has been denied a place in the Indian team over the past few years. This was largely because those in the position of making the decisions believed that he did not have the small waist required for international cricket. Sarfaraz’s returns with a bat on the field were even more staggering than his waistline. Sadly, Indian cricket has too many decision-makers with ideas that are difficult to understand.
Back in my playing days, Karsan Ghabri was not selected for the twin tours of New Zealand and the West Indies, apparently because he chewed paan, and throughout his life he simply made ends meet. That was not considered appropriate by the very vocal selectors who were trying to do so. Impress your Rose friends. It’s not just him. Many people in India have this strange idea that a small waist means a healthy person. How many times have you heard someone look at someone with a small waist and say how healthy they look? Sports fitness isn’t just about how small your waist is. If your mind is strong, your physical strength will depend on it.
In any case, in this day and age when bowlers are waiting with drinks on the edge of the boundary after bowling an over, and sometimes even receiving a quick shoulder massage between deliveries from their opponents, we have no debate. What kind of fitness do you do? What kind of fitness are we talking about when the batsmen receive a drink after every over and the substitutes run in, ostensibly to change gloves? Not only the batter, but also his partner on the other side receives a drink, even if he just came into bat a few innings early. The referees turn a blind eye to this, thinking that the players can eat snacks as long as the game is not delayed. TV stations don’t care either, because they can slip in with another commercial. So at the end of almost every Test match day, everyone is happy except for the spectators who don’t get to see the 90 overs they should be watching.
Rishabh Pant also doesn’t have the slim waist that fitness purists would like, but what an impactful player he is. We must also remember that he is managing wickets all day long. To do so, he has to not only get up and down, but also run to the stumps to collect his throws, during about six hours of play. So stop these yo-yo-yo tests and instead assess how mentally strong your players are. It will be a true indicator of a player’s fitness. If a player can bat all day long or bowl 20 overs in a day, no matter how small his waist is, he is fit for the match.
Prioritize Ranji Trophy
India is currently playing a series against New Zealand and some of our players are playing in the Emerging Players Asia Cup. The Ranji Trophy season has begun and the value of the national tournament will be significantly diminished if players are taken away to participate in such events. As it stands, top international players are unable to compete in the Ranji Trophy due to international commitments, and even if there were spots available, the workload factor for these slim-waisted and fit players is It always exists, right? So unless he needed practice or wanted to get back in shape, he couldn’t be bothered to play for the United States from where he took his first steps in Indian cricket.
Next month, a four-match non-essential T20 series will be played in South Africa before the tour to Australia. With the ‘A’ team also scheduled to tour Australia next month, this will effectively mean that about 50-60 players will not be able to participate in the state team for the premier national tournament, the Ranji Trophy. No other major country handles domestic competitions as cavalierly as India. Have you ever seen England or Australia host an ‘A’ tour or participate in pointless events during their domestic season? Their domestic season is sacred, but ever since the advent of the IPL, the Ranji Trophy has sadly been relegated to the background. I hope that this situation will change next season, but am I expecting too much?
