World Cup-Winning Star Fails Fitness Test At National Cricket Academy

Discarded batsman Suresh Raina‘s hopes of returning to the national team any time soon has all but evaporated for the time being as the southpaw along with leg-spinner Amit Mishra has failed their fitness test at the National Cricket Academy. Both the senior players are in contention for the India A team but will now have to go through the grind again to be picked for the team that will take on New Zealand A in five-match one-day series.

Both the players have lost their places in the team for their poor form and fitness and with the team management making it clear that fitness will of utmost priority, it is highly unlikely that they would return to the Indian team unless they improve their fitness.

According to a report in The Times of India, the sources have revealed that the selectors were ready to test them during the series against New Zealand A but it is unlikely now as both of them failed to pass their fitness test despite training under the watchful eyes of the National Cricket Academy coaching staff.

In fact, Mishra had trained for at least four months inside the NCA complex still couldn’t pass the fitness test with desired results. It will be a big blow for both the players who have not played for the national team for quite some time now.

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Raina, who has not played an ODI since October 2015, last played for India during the T20I series against England earlier this year.  A good performance in the IPL raised hopes that he would be recalled in the team but he reportedly failed the ‘Yo-Yo’ endurance test prior to the series in Sri Lanka and was consequently ignored.

On the other hand, Mishra, who was the highest wicket-taker in the five-match ODI  series against New Zealand last year, also last played during the T20I series against England and has fallen down the pecking order due to the emergence of other spinners like Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.

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