On the surface, Karun Nair’s return to the India fold was a disappointment – aggregating 205 runs across eight innings at an average of just over 25. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll see that he was part of vital first-innings partnerships in both Tests that India won, at Edgbaston and The Oval. In this exclusive chat with Boria Majumdar, RevSportz editor-in-chief, Karun talks of the long road back to the Test side, playing through pain and the inspiring message from Gautam Gambhir before the series.
Boria: Give us a sense of the backstage. The last two years of mundane training that got you back for England.
Karun: I wouldn’t say just two years, it’s more like four to five years of hard work, and the last two years have just been the result of that hard work. Working on my skills and fitness every single day, patiently, was something I have practiced. Kept my dream alive of playing for India once again, without giving up. Only focus was on how I am going to make it and what should I be doing for that. I just took one day at a time, and all I could see was the target of getting back there. Kept telling myself that I should be giving everything that I can, and hopefully I’ll reach my goal. There was no set path that I had in mind, or a clear direction to reach the target point, but it was just about putting in all the effort while making sure I performed in every game irrespective of what game it is. I guess taking one day at a time and not looking too far ahead helped me.
Boria: Did you have self-doubt at any point?
Karun: Yeah, of course. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have self-doubt. As I said, I could see where I wanted to reach, but I was not sure of how I am going to do that. It was all about the belief and the little steps that I took to put all the effort. Going to the gym every day, driving an hour and a half to practice, is something that I look back upon now. I feel grateful for that and for the people that stood by me to help me during those days.
Boria: How was the feeling to step out wearing the tricolour at Headingley and be a part of the team standing for the national anthem?
Karun: Yeah, it was a moment of goosebumps and I can still feel that when I’m talking about it. A year back, I used to dream about being in the whites and standing there with the team. And then, there I was living my dream that I have once lived inside my head. It is an amazingly grateful feeling and something that you cannot explain. It took me a while to get used to the fact that now I have the stage and that I have made it back to the team. Now is the time to go and grab the opportunity.
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Boria: Give us an idea of your discipline, rigour and intense training schedule day in day out.
Karun: Like I said, it has been my process in the last few years and England was just the continuation of doing what I have been doing. I just wanted to do everything that I could and enjoy each and every day that I was out there. Not many people get the opportunity to play for their country and I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned to go out there and give it my best. I wanted to prepare as well as I can and give myself the best opportunity. My thought process was not to miss any practice session, no matter what happens. I kept focussing on things that are in my control and continued doing the things that helped me come to this stage.
Boria: Tell me about braving pain, batting with a broken finger, and doing the job for India. How tough was it?
Karun: During the series, I think Rishabh has set a very high standard of what we are supposed to be doing as players. In the fourth Test match, he went out to bat with a broken foot and scored a 50. He inspired so many of us in the dressing room and showed the kind of player and person he is by putting the team first. So, it struck me in a way that it did something to me, and thus it became really easy for me to decide what to do for the team. The only thing in my head was what Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) had kept telling me earlier, that ‘it doesn’t matter how many runs you score, It’s about the partnerships that you can create, and at the end of the day, those partnerships are going to take us to a win on a tricky wicket’. So, It’s not about individual scores and I was just out there looking to do my best and score as many runs as I can, and more importantly, create those partnerships playing in those difficult periods.
Boria: Can you talk about the impact that Gautam Gambhir has on the dressing room?
Karun: From day 1 itself, the whole messaging has been about putting the team first and putting all the efforts into beating England in England. The whole goal of the series was to do something special as a team. It was really inspiring, this message coming from him from day 1, and everyone really bought into it, which you must have noticed as the series progressed. Gauti bhai was someone who gave us a lot of encouragement and support. I can talk for myself that he really gave me the confidence to go out there and give it my best. So, the whole focus was to go out there and play the way I know, to play for the team in any situation that I was in.
You can read part two at 2:30pm.