The Indian cricket team is set to introduce the rugby-style Bronco fitness test. Here’s all you need to know about it.
According to an Indian Express report on August 21, India are set to introduce the rugby-style Bronco Test as a benchmark for fitness for its cricketers. Currently, the Yo-Yo Test and a two-kilometre time trial are in place as fitness tests. The suggestion has reportedly come from Indian strength and conditioning coach Adrian Le Roux, who wants Indian fast bowlers to have more running miles on their legs and not just gym-trained fitness. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has also reportedly given it a thumbs up.
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What is Bronco Test?
The test was originally designed for rugby players to increase a player's aerobic and cardiovascular capacity. Four markers are placed at 0m, 20m, 40m, and 60m. The person undergoing the test runs from 0m to 60m, back to 0m, to 40m, back to 0m, to 20m, and finally back to 0m – covering a total of 240m in a single set. A total of five sets completes the test, covering 1200 meters relentlessly without taking a break. The report claimed that the Indian players have been asked to complete the Bronco Test in under six minutes.
In the 2-km time trial, the benchmark for the fast bowlers was eight minutes and 15 seconds. For batters, wicketkeepers, and spinners, it was eight minutes and 30 seconds. For the Yo-Yo Test, which involves shuttling over a 20-metre distance at increasing speeds, the benchmark was set at 17.1.
Ramji Srinivasan, who was India's strength and conditioning coach during the 2011 World Cup, feels the Bronco test could help the injury-stricken Indian fast bowlers.
"Fast bowlers are like cricket decathletes," he told in an exclusive interview with Sportsboom. "They need to have varied energy systems working in tandem with the skill, type of bowling action, fitness levels, different formats and other variables.
"Pacers' skills involve running, sprinting, braking, and jumping with external and internal forces acting on the body from varied angles. Pacers need to be strong and fit to deliver the best. They are like a commando. Bronco throws up data and information which can be harnessed according to the skill."
He added: "Running becomes an essential part of their skill set. Strength component is important, but it’s not the only aspect.
"Excellent aerobic fitness, flexibility, core strength and stability, reactive strength, balance, and power are involved in the fast-bowling physiology. Bronco helps in understanding their aerobic fitness levels and fatigue index to calibrate the fitness levels and their efficiency."
This comes after India struggled with the fitness of their fast bowlers during the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Anshul Kamboj, who was handed his Test debut at Manchester, bowled well below his usual speed-gun readings and finished with figures of 1-89 from 18 overs. Jasprit Bumrah, too, struggled with his pace in the latter half of the series. The Indian Express report also stated that several of India's top players have already taken the test.
