An eight-hour grind everyday: Yuvrajs comeback regimen

Yograj never watches on TV or follows the match on the internet or listens to radio commentary when Yuvraj bats.

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Yograj Singh never watches on television or follows the match on the internet or listens to radio commentary when Yuvraj Singh bats. It is a superstition or rather an old habit that Yograj refuses to dump. However,Yograj,was tremendously pleased when he heard the news that Yuvraj,with his 118 off 146 balls in the practice game in Colombo,had sealed his No.6 spot in the Test batting line-up.

In the run-up to the Sri Lanka series,Yuvraj headed back to his alma mater,the DAV Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh. Yograj,his father and long-time coach,had spent many hours training a young Yuvraj at the schools grounds. It was back to basics for the father-son duo now. Yograj put his son through the grind during the one week preceeding the tour. I made him train for six-to-eight hours a day. The schedule focussed on fitness,strength training and skills, Yograj told The Indian Express on Wednesday.

After concerns were raised about his fitness,Yuvraj wasnt picked to the squad for the Asia Cup. The selectors hoped their decision would be a wake-up call for Yuvraj. At a promotional event ahead of the tour Yuvraj stated that he was determined to seal his place in the Test line-up. The runs will start to flow now. I have been training really hard and my fitness is good, Yuvraj had said.

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Yograj puts down Yuvrajs indifferent form to the injuries he suffered during the season. He has had to deal with shoulder,knee and finger injuries. It isnt easy to be at your best when you are injured often. The doctor had advised him to rest for three to four weeks but he didnt as he was keen to play, Yograj added.

Yograj said that he was pleased with Yuvrajs fitness levels. He looks fit now. It was because of the injuries that he couldnt train hard enough. I have analysed his fitness levels and it is pretty fine. I dont think much should be read into reports that he was unfit.

Yograj said that he was rather impressed with the form Yuvraj displayed during training. I checked the number of balls he was middling. A circle was drawn along the meat of his bat to know exactly how he was hitting the ball.

Yograj said that Yuvraj would be using most of his spare time between matches to train at the DAV College grounds. I was complacent regarding his cricket. Now,I will make sure that I train him,like I used to when he was a child, Yograj said.

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The former pace bowler said that he wanted to see Yuvraj enter the pantheon of greats. To be at his best,Yuvraj needs to focus on cricket and block everything else out of his mind.

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