Sachin Tendulkar was full of ego? Varun Aaron reveals unheard story of the God of Cricket

Former India pacer Varun Aaron recalled Sachin Tendulkar’s encouragement during his Test debut against the West Indies. Varun Aaron emphasized how Sachin Tendulkar’s wise words helped him overcome disappointment and regain focus during the match.

Varun Aaron gained recognition for his consistent pace in India’s fast bowling landscape in 2008. The fast bowler had the opportunity to represent India after grabbing attention. However, Aaron couldn’t play for the national team as much as he would have loved to.

The Jharkhand-born cricketer made his Test debut for India against the West Indies in November 2011. The pacer initially struggled but dismissed Darren Bravo for his first Test wicket. He went on to dismiss Carlton Baugh and Daren Sammy in his maiden Test innings.

It Was A Really Flat Wicket – Varun Aaron

During an interview with the BCCI, Varun Aaron revealed feeling disheartened after failing to take a wicket despite bowling 21 overs. Aaron credited Sachin Tendulkar‘s encouragement for uplifting his spirits on the field.

“We were playing at the Wankhede Stadium. It was a really flat wicket, and the West Indies were 500-something for four. And I was really down. I was 21 years old and had never bowled 21 overs without a wicket,” Aaron said.

“Sachin Tendulkar was standing at mid-off, he looked at me and asked, ‘Why are you looking so down?’ I was like, you know what, Paaji, I’ve never bowled 21 overs for no wickets. I can’t believe this is happening on my debut.”

“He’s like, come here. We stopped mid-over and he said, ‘Do you know I waited 22 years for my first World Cup Trophy? So you can wait 21 overs for your first wicket, there’s no problem with that. Please come down to earth and get bowling,” he added.

Despite three wicketless spells, Aaron managed to dismiss the well-set batter, Darren Bravo, who had scored 166 runs. Within the next four overs, Aaron also removed Baugh and Sammy, triggering a rapid collapse of the West Indian batting lineup from 518/4 to 590.

Just A Few Words From Sachin Tendulkar – Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron credited a few words from Sachin Tendulkar for transforming his debut, resulting in the dismissal of Darren Bravo for 166. He also mentioned an unfortunate dropped catch off Marlon Samuels’ edge.

“I was like, Man, seriously, that makes so much sense. The very next ball, I got Darren Bravo (166) out, and caught behind. Then got two other wickets – Carlton Baugh and Daren Sammy. And that just changed my debut. Just a few words from Sachin Tendulkar. I had also induced an edge off Marlon Samuels, but it was dropped,” Aaron added.

The 34-year-old pacer represented India in nine Tests and nine ODIs. The pacer secured 18 wickets in Tests at an average of 52.61 and 11 wickets in ODIs at 38.09. Across 65 first-class matches, he took 173 wickets at an average of 33.27, including six five-wicket hauls.

Injuries curtailed his promising career for India. Despite being slated for India’s 2011-12 tour of Australia, a recurring back stress fracture sidelined him for over a year, leading to his exclusion as bowlers like Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma gained prominence.

After Jharkhand’s win over Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, he announced his retirement from first-class cricket. Nonetheless, he expressed his intention to continue participating in shorter-format tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.

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