India paceman Varun Aaron working on his fitness, eyes a comeback

India pacer Varun Aaron was unlucky to have been sidelined from the national team just as his career was beginning to take flight. Having debuted with Umesh Yadav, he will consider himself luckless as he grapples with injuries. Umesh, on the other hand, has been extremely successful for India. He has cemented his spot in all three formats of the game for Team India and has extended his dominance in the IPL as well.

The Saurashtra pacer has developed into a bowler who offers pace coupled with controlled swing, which bamboozles the best of batsmen in the circuit today. Aaron came into the ODI arena in 2011. He debuted against England in Mumbai on October 23 that year but was soon injured. On January 25, 2014, Aaron made his international comeback after a gap of two years, having recovered from a back injury.

Aaron had some serious pace on offer but was wayward with his line and length on most occasions. His economy rate was also of concern. Umesh overcame his injuries but also ameliorated his bowling technique. His record in international cricket speaks for itself.

Injuries at wrong intervals for Varun Aaron

“I got a lot of injuries at wrong intervals which is a setback. Umesh and I have been in the team for a bit, and Umesh has two years more on me. I’m still 27 and still have a lot of years of cricket in me. We are both great buddies at the end of the day and I’m very happy for Umesh. And I feel there are good days ahead for me,” Aaron said.

“It definitely doesn’t help because when you’re in form and you get an injury, it just throws you off your rhythm and the flow you have built up through that season. The last season I started well, but then I had a freak heel bruise,” he added.

The Jharkhand pacer was one of the rare bowlers from India who could consistently bowl at 150kmph. His smooth run-up and his release from close to the stumps made him a difficult bowler to face. However, as many sportsmen would know, injuries halted his career.

Aaron was recently part of the Kings XI Punjab setup in the IPL, but he couldn’t make a mark for himself. “I feel it is part and parcel of the game. I am a fast bowler and we generally have quite a few injuries,” he said.

On being expensive in the shorter formats of the game, the fast bowler explained that it ensues from his constant lookout for wickets. “Whenever I’ve played any sort of cricket I’ve always looked at taking wickets and sometimes it’s worked for me and sometimes it hasn’t. I played for the country because of that mentality… of getting wickets. In addition, with that mentality and strategy, there is always an element of risk that it might go for runs,” he said.

While India continue their quest for yet another Champions Trophy title, Aaron is working hard on his fitness. The pacer eyes a comeback into Team India in the near future.