Ashish Nehra’s inclusion in the Indian squad for the tree-match Twenty20 series against Australia may have surprised many, mainly because of his age. A 38-year-old fast bowler in T20 Internationals is seldom heard of. But his friend and former teammate Virender Sehwag revealed, on-field fitness is not a concern for the veteran, in fact his score on the “yo-yo” endurance test is on par with that of Virat Kohli, arguably one of the fittest cricketers in the world.
“I was not at all surprised with Nehra’s selection in the T20I team against Australia. I am very happy that he is a part of the team and I want him to play more matches in future,” Sehwag told India TV on Wednesday. Nehra last played for India against England earlier this year and then represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League before suffering an injury.
But perhaps the bigger surprise is the secret behind this fitness – a rigorous training regime.
“The secret behind Nehra’s fitness is when is not playing international cricket, he spends almost 8 hours in the gym (two sessions of 4 hours each). And if today he is a part of the T20 team, it is because he has passed the ‘yo-yo’ test. He scored almost 17-18 in the yo-yo test, touching Virat Kohli’s score,” he added.
The ‘Yo-Yo’ endurance test is one of the most important series of fitness tests that the Indian team regularly goes through in order to stay at the top of the game. In recent times, it has been mandatory for players wanting to make it to the team and was reportedly the reason Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina were left out of the limited overs team.
But it’s also a test that old warhorse Nehra seems to have aced.
“Nehra is a fast bowler and never faces any issues while running. So, he doesn’t endure much problems in clearing the “yo-yo” test. Nehra likes to stay fit and spend time in the gym. It is not that he is doing it forcefully. He likes to run, swim and I think he would have easily covered the distance of 20 meters in the yo-yo test. He has also an advantage of his height. He is over six feet tall and has a long stride,” Sehwag was quoted as saying.
The pacer himself spoke about his physical training and how he manages to retain it despite numerous injuries and 12 surgeries.
“I was religiously following my training schedule, working on my fitness, doing my bowling routines. Things you actually do to make a comeback… And this stage of my career, I don’t need to play for money. I have had 12 surgeries. Ask any sportsman, what it takes to recover from one and here I have been under the knife 12 times. Still, in the morning when I wake up, I am keen to go for training. That’s the motivation,” Nehra told PTI.
Sehwag further backed the 38-year-old to play for India for a couple of years more, maybe even the next World T20 which is three years away. “I don’t think age should be the criteria to play in the world cup. If Nehra is fit, picking up wickets and giving away less runs, then why not? Sanath Jayasuriya played till 42, Sachin Tendulkar played till the age of 40 then why not Ashish Nehra?” Sehwag added.
India play the first T20 match on Saturday in Ranchi.