India Test team

NEW DELHI: His Bradmanesque run in domestic cricket in recent years has coincided with the most challenging phase of his career, but Karun Nair identifies “the end of 2022” as the darkest period he’s endured, calling it “quite a dark place.” The 33-year-old’s return to the Indian Test team after eight years stands as a powerful testament to his resilience and determination.“In terms of incidents, I would say, it was quite a dark place at the end of 2022. Very emotional phase for me. I think the toughest time for me. Even tougher than 2018, or whatever, whenever that was,” Nair said during a conversation with R Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube channel.Nair, India’s only triple-centurion in Test cricket besides Virender Sehwag, is now on the verge of a remarkable comeback.On Friday, there’s a strong chance he will be part of India’s playing XI for the first Test against England at Headingley, Leeds.Though he’s emerged stronger, Nair says he never wants to revisit that painful period when he struggled to understand why he was dropped from the Indian team shortly after scoring a historic triple century against England in 2016.“No. I don’t want to be where I was a couple of years ago, quite honestly.”He added, “I think at the moment, at least I am very grateful. Like you said, I have gotten past that complaining stage. Very grateful to be in the situation that I am and I just treat every day as something that’s given to me, and I am living my life and doing what I love. The making of Dhruv Jurel: Kargil war hero’s son who chose cricket over the Army “I am very grateful to everyone that has been part of my journey in the last 2-3 years at least. I have understood to value things. I have understood to value each moment and just treat every single day as a new day.”Nair admitted he was perplexed by the lack of communication when he was dropped from the Indian team.“Honestly, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Because after the 300 in Chennai, after the Australia series, I think the next series was in Sri Lanka in 2017.“I wasn’t part of that squad either. And from then on, I couldn’t understand what was happening. Then I had to go back in domestic cricket.”Looking back, Nair believes a strong performance against Australia could have secured his place in the side.“I had no clue what was happening. All I knew was my name wasn’t there. I couldn’t understand how it wasn’t there.“But if I look back and think that there is one side of me saying that ‘yes, I didn’t get too many opportunities’. But the other way I would also think is the four innings that I played against Australia, and I got a couple of starts.“If I had just converted those starts into bigger scores, maybe I wouldn’t be in this position or had to have gone through that.”Asked about his mindset during that difficult phase, Nair recalled: “Just figuring out how I should go about things and what I should be doing.“Obviously, I was a lot younger at that time and couldn’t probably control what was running in my head like I am able to do today. So, basically, just a confused mind and was trying so hard to get back that I think I just kept getting worse.“But I had a great season that year in domestic cricket and I was able to come back like I said in the 2018 season. And then again, went back there. Didn’t have too many opportunities.”While out of the Indian side, Nair said the support he received from his state team, Karnataka, was invaluable.“I think there has always been a great bond between the players in Karnataka. Because we all played together from a very young age. And all of us made the grade at the same time, if I can say that.“So, there was always support. There was never anyone, you know, lacking that support. They have always said good things. They always knew the player that I was. So, I always had the trust from the players in the Karnataka team at least.“So, to go back there, it again felt like a family. And obviously, it didn’t have a great season. But that happens to anyone, I would think. And yeah, it’s just everyone felt or everyone supported me.“Like I said, it’s like a family. And everyone was caring. And they never put any undue pressure on me in terms of, ‘oh, I wasn’t scoring’ or no one really came up to me,” Nair said.