Ahead of his departure for South Africa, where he will lead India A team in the four-day matches, Karun Nair spoke to ESPNcricinfo in Bengaluru
Gaurav Kalra10-Jul-201716:33
‘Not looking too much at the past’ – Nair
Must be a little bit disappointed not being on the tour to Sri Lanka with the Test team?
Nair: It is, but I will have to respect the decision of the team management and selectors. That’s the way it goes and I am just focusing on South Africa now – the India A tour – [and] looking forward to it. It is going to be a new experience for me, I have never been to South Africa, so trying to just prepare myself and do well there.Have you thought about the reasons why you weren’t on this trip? After the triple-hundred, you did play a few Test matches. Did you let yourself down in how you performed in those?
If I look back, I got a couple of starts which I feel I could have made into substantial scores. Those two starts I got were supposed to be converted, but you know that’s how it goes for a batsman. Sometimes you get starts and you are not able to convert them. I don’t think there’s any point talking about it right now. I am just looking forward to the season coming up and trying to do better.It is another reminder of how competitive it is between several batsmen for a place in that Indian middle order. Are you aware of that all the time?
Honestly, I was fortunate enough to get to play in the XI. So I was very happy, learning new things from everyone around and playing Test cricket. I was really enjoying myself and not thinking too much about it. But like you said, the competition is very high and it’s healthy competition. There’s nothing to worry about there, I am not thinking too much, just looking forward.How are you viewing this trip to South Africa? Is it something that you see as a stepping stone to get back into national reckoning or as something for yourself to develop as an international batsman?
Like I said, it will be a new experience to go to South Africa for the first time, to experience those conditions and see how it is to play cricket there. It is a stepping stone to do well and get myself back into the Test team. Even looking at it that way, I am looking forward and just trying to be positive.How has life changed after the 300? Are you getting recognized more on the roads? Are you getting much more attention?
Yes, a little bit, not much. There is a difference in the way people look at you. Just trying to enjoy every moment, not looking too much at the past.’Till last week, I hadn’t looked back at the triple-hundred’•Associated PressDo you replay the innings in your mind often? Have you gone back to YouTube and watched clips?
Honestly, till about a week ago, I never looked back at it but in the last week, I have actually gone through that video at least three times. I am starting to miss that kind of feeling, so I want to do that once again.Was that the best you’ve felt as a batsman? You’ve made first-class triple-hundreds before, in fact in a Ranji trophy final.
More than feeling good, it was about experiencing all kinds of situations. My first hundred was a little cautious, after that the second one was a bit more open and the third was just about going after the bowling freely. I could feel all the three feelings, it was amazing to be out there.In all the history of Indian Test cricket, 85 years only you and Virender Sehwag have made triple-hundreds for India. It’s an elite club. Have you and him ever discussed this?
Not really, it was just the tweet that he had put up. I met him once during the IPL and he said, just look forward and keep scoring runs.Obviously when you do something this special, expectations rise. What’s been your takeaway from that innings in the way that people have viewed you as a batsman?
More than people looking at me as a batsman, I have certain expectations of myself. Every innings that I go into, I take that into account rather than what people are expecting out of me. Family and friends expect a lot anyway, and I can’t keep thinking about the others. I have my own expectations and try and just focus on that. It will probably be impossible to focus on other people’s expectations. So I just want to prepare well, go out there and do my best.You faced several challenges after the triple-hundred. You were left out of the playing XI in the next Test match and then you came back and endured a few failures. What have those things taught you as a cricketer?
It has just taught me that you can’t score in every game that you play. So you have to try and be the same person throughout, whether you are doing well or not. You should not get too worried [when you fail] or too joyful when you are doing well. I am trying to be the same in every moment, just take the experience and move forward.What was the series against Australia like? Did you find a difference in the way the English attack came at you and the Australians did?
Yes, there was a lot a difference. The Australians were more at you. The English were good but the Australians had more aggression, I felt. And we had lost the first game and that made it even more difficult for us and it put them on a high because England never got a sniff.’I have belief in my ability that I can play all formats’•BCCIYou must have seen some of the dismissals in the series against Australia. Is that something you work on, coming back into the nets and work on specific areas?
Honestly, I would rather not look at my dismissals. I know what mistakes I have made, so rather than keep thinking about it, I look at when I have done well and look at the good things that I do. Obviously any batsman would like to improve. I don’t generally go back and look at my dismissals, I just work on everything that I can to become a better batsman.Cricketers talk often about being able to move on from incidents. There were a couple in Dharamsala, when you dropped David Warner. Does that play on your mind? Is that hard to get over as a young player, the feeling that you’ve let the team down?
It didn’t affect me in my batting but it does affect you on the field in that moment for a few overs, till you can grab one and then that goes away. I don’t think about it when I am batting, just go out there and look at the ball and hit the ball.Is your fielding an area you focus on?
Yes, it is. Everyone has to focus on their fielding. In this day and age you have to be very good in all three departments. There are no excuses in any area, so you have to keep working on everything.You’ve been very successful in first-class cricket. What has the transition been like? Did you feel international cricket was a big leap or were you well prepared for it?
The India ‘A’ [team] is a very good platform for guys like me who are coming into the Test team from Ranji Trophy, because it is a level up. You don’t really feel the difference of jumping from Ranji level to Test cricket because of India ‘A’. If you are part of the India ‘A’ set-up, the opposition teams also have a lot of international players. Moreover, most of us are playing in the IPL now, so whoever is playing in the IPL is facing international quality bowling. So, once you play in the IPL you are prepared, you don’t have any excuses.Karun Nair’s time against Australia was particularly harrowing•Associated PressWere you disappointed at how this IPL season turned out? You were one of Delhi’s main players.
At the end of the season, after the Australia series, I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind because I was thinking too much about how I should be playing and how well I should be doing for Delhi rather than just looking at the ball and reacting. It took me half the season to realize I was doing that. The second half was a little better I felt, just looked at the ball and played how the ball came down. Those were the things I learnt this season. Like I said, what’s gone is gone, just looking forward to the new season and taking those experiences.What is your view on your white-ball cricket. Do you believe it still needs to improve?
It was just this one season that I haven’t done well. The previous seasons of IPL or white-ball cricket I have done well. People start talking when you don’t do well in one season. It actually doesn’t affect me that much. I have belief in my ability that I can play all formats. So it is just about getting the runs that I need.Do you think about the next World Cup in 2019?
Not really. Just looking forward to each season as it comes. If I can perform, I know I will be there.Karnataka players are known to form a very close bond with each other. KL Rahul, for instance, is someone you have known very well for a long time. He has grown in stature as an international cricketer over the last year or so in all formats. Do you share these experiences?
We do, we are very close. We haven’t been able to meet up since he got injured. We do share experiences when are together. We started playing together, so that bond is there.I believe your mother never watches you play, she only watches recordings. How have things changed for them since you have graduated to being an Indian cricketer?
I think they are more settled. They are happier and not very restless now. It is good to have some peace at home. They are very proud parents and I am happy that I could do them proud. I have had their complete support since I started playing, they never pressured me into doing anything. Just let me go and play my cricket.You will be captain of this India A team in South Africa. Do you enjoy leadership?
I have been captain on several occasions and I just enjoy the fact that whenever I am captain, I do well. So, I have that positive frame of mind when I am captain. It has been the case, from the Under-19 days to the Ranji trophy last year when I captained; we did well and I scored runs. It is obviously an extra responsibility, but generally when I am batting that kind of feeling doesn’t come.Does personality matter when you are captain? You seem to be a quiet, reserved sort of person who is leading a team of eleven players, does that make any difference?
I don’t think so. Everyone has their own style. I don’t think I should change who I am to try and lead eleven people. I can still lead them by being myself and do it in my way.Before we finish, what do you like doing outside of cricket?
The last one year I have started watching a lot of TV shows. The last few months when I had a break I started playing a lot of golf, so I am really enjoying that and keeping myself busy.