On the National Cricket Academy premises, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and others were taking the yo-yo test, which is now one of the guidelines for selection in any India squad. Despite the fact that Team India is locking horns with Afghanistan team in the historic Test, most eyes were on Kohli, who missed this game and his proposed county stint with Surrey because of a neck-and-back problem.

The Indian captain ran back and forth with no visible signs of discomfort. In the next net, Dhoni did the same. Kedar Jadhav, who hurt his hamstring during the series opener of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April, was on the other side of Virat. Suresh Raina, part of the ODI squad that will leave for the British Isles on June 21, was also there, as was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was rested for this Test.

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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 Family packs have been replaced by six-packs.

As Kohli and Dhoni wound down and reached for their energy drinks, under the supervision of Shankar Basu, the trainer, another batch of players started to make their way out. Jasprit Bumrah, Siddharth Kaul, and Washington Sundar, who are included in the limited-overs squad were seen in the nets. The handful of journalists who had gathered to watch were kept well away, with tape stretched across the entrance to the NCA premises. The test scores are unlikely to be made available.

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.