Mumbai, Oct 23: Batsmen are expected to dominate on flat sub-continent pitches. There is enough time before the ball comes onto the bat, allowing batsmen those extra few precious seconds to play the ball. Yet, as proved by debutant Varun Aaron in the Mumbai ODI, there is always room for quality pacers to make a mark no matter what the conditions.

Aaron’s much awaited debut finally came about in the fourth ODI against England at the Wankhede Stadium today. After a good showing in the Emerging Players Tournament in Australia few weeks ago, Varun finally figured on the selectors’ radar. There had been buzz about this lad from Jamshedpur, Bihar for sometime and he was finally picked for India’s limited overs’ section on the tour of England. Despite not getting a game on that tour, Aaron, fortunately, was again picked in the side as India took on England this time at home.

Aaron, though, still found himself sitting by the sidelines as Umesh Yadav was preferred by the Indian think tank to play the role of the third pacer in the first three ODIs. However, Yadav’s injury in the Mohali ODI turned out to be a blessing for Aaron, who finally got a look into the playing eleven for today’s ODI.

The pacer touted to be the fastest bowler in India currently made the opportunity count with three wickets for 24 runs from 6.1 overs while bowling consistently at over 140 kmph. Handed the ball by the Indian captain, MS Dhoni, in the 11th over, Varun gave away 14 runs in his first spell of three overs but went wicketless. However, when he was brought back into the attack in the 41st over, the bowler wrapped-up the England tail with the wickets of Scott Borthwick, Stuart Meaker and Tim Bresnan.

In the second over of his second spell, Aaron uprooted Borthwick’s off-stump off the first ball. Stuart Meaker, who looked completely out of sorts during his brief, 10-ball, stay in the middle, was the next to fell the effect of Aaron’s scorching pace as he lost his middle-stump in the 21-year old’s next over. With England on 220 for the loss of nine wickets, Bresnan (45 off 45) waged a lone battle against the Indians. However, another beautiful, quick delivery from Aaron, which nipped past Bresnan’s outside edge and clipped the top of offstump put an end to the England resistance.

What was particularly impressive about Aaron, the Jharkahnd lad went about his business in his very first ODI in a quiet and cheerful manner, without any extravagant displays of celebration. A remarkable three wickets on debut may have given the look of just another good day at the office for the youngster but it most certainly is a sign of greater things to come for India’s latest pace sensation.