Won't sacrifice pace to stay fit: Aaron

CHENNAI: It wasn't easy for Varun Aaron to return to international cricket after he picked up a third stress related back injury which pushed him out of the game last year. But the paceman never gave up and has fought his way back. He played three ODIs in New Zealand taking four wickets, and even though he looked a little erratic at times, the Jharkhand pacer was able to bowl consistently at a pace of 145 km/hr. He spoke about his return, his comeback and Test aspirations during a chat with TOI. Excerpts:

Last year must have been tough. Did you ever feel that your cricket career might be over?

No, I didn't allow such thoughts to creep into my mind. Of course, those were difficult days, but I always tried to be positive. I didn't watch too much of cricket on TV, trying to keep my mind away from what's happening on the international stage, but I kept working hard to stage a comeback.

Injuries often force pacers to sacrifice pace...

I have played cricket the hard way. I know the easiest way is to sacrifice pace, but I will never do that. I know pace is my forte and I am happy that I was able to work up a good pace in New Zealand. I had to work a bit on my run-up to reduce the stress on my back. For that, I had to put in the hard yards, but I am ready to do that than cutting down on my pace.

Dhoni said the bowlers aren't thinking much. Your comments...

No, I don't want to comment on what the captain has to say. As far as I am concerned, I am trying my best to ensure that I don't give away too many runs. After talking to the bowling coach, I have found out that I can work a bit more on my run-up and I will do that.

With the kind of injuries that you have suffered, is it possible for you to make the Test team?

Are you asking me whether I can endure five days of the grind and bowl long spells? If I couldn't do that, how did I play a season of Ranji Trophy before making a comeback to the Indian team. It's not an issue at all. The important thing for me is to keep performing.

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Shweta Pandey

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