Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu was expecting a dream return in the Indian squad after a phenomenal season of the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). But his hopes of joining the team for the limited-overs tour of England were crashed down on Friday as he failed the Yo-Yo test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

Rayudu last played for India against Zimbabwe in 2016 and while the Indian captain Virat Kohli and his predecessor MS Dhoni passed the test with ease, the Hyderabad batsman’s score was well below the threshold mark of 16.1 as per reports. 

Rayudu isn’t the only one who failed the test as the earlier casualties were Mohammed Shami in the senior team and Sanju Samson in the ‘A’ team. More than a decade ago, when Andrew Leipus was the physio and Adrian le Roux the trainer, Indian cricket started using the bleep test as a measure of the players’ aerobic fitness. Back then, however, the numbers were only a guide and no player was sidelined because he didn’t meet a certain benchmark.

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Since Kohli has taken over the captaincy reigns, there has been an extra emphasis on fitness, with the captain himself leading the way. His Instagram videos don’t just get millions of views from cricket fans. They also remind his teammates of what is expected. It’s not just a coincidence that all the Indian cricketers are now the fittest cricketers in the world. Family packs have been replaced by six-packs.

There is already a move to raise the yo-yo test threshold from 16.1 to 16.3, with the head coach Ravi Shastri keen on even better fitness ahead of a grueling year that includes tours of Ireland, England, and Australia before next summer’s World Cup.

Indian team is scheduled to play two T20Is against Ireland on June 27 and 29 before the tour of England. Their England journey begins on July 3 with the limited-overs leg of three T20Is and three ODIs. From August 1 to September 11, India will take on England in a five-match Test series.