'I've made it again' - Nair looks back on 'up-and-down' comeback series

Standing for the national anthem on the opening day of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at Headingley, Karun Nair felt goosebumps run down his arms. Even imagining that moment had felt out of reach three years ago, but to live it again came as close as anything to the feeling of wearing the India cap for the very first time.

"To get that opportunity was one of the best days of my life," Nair tells ESPNcricinfo. "Just the feeling of, 'yeah, finally I've made it again'. That was the moment for me."

It's barely been a week since India's stunning 2-2 Test series in England ended, but Nair is back on the road. Despite nursing a bruised right index finger - the result of a sharp blow from a Gus Atkinson bouncer in the second innings at The Oval - his focus is shifting to the Maharaja Trophy T20, where he'll be a key figure in Mysore Warriors' title defence.

He is not back in the nets just yet. "Maybe in a week, or whenever the Centre of Excellence gives me the go-ahead," he says. But he's already keeping a close watch on training. His voice is hoarse, almost a whisper, prompting a laugh when asked if it's the result of post-series celebrations.

"Not really," he chuckles. "We didn't overdo anything."

The celebrations "weren't as much as people think", and the mutual respect ran deep. After wrapping up their post-match revelry, the Indian players made their way to the England dressing room.

"We had a good chat, both teams were respectful of the fact that it was a great series," Nair says. "Brendon McCullum mentioned it was the greatest Test series to be played in recent memory. As players, we didn't feel the magnitude of it during the matches, but looking back at how the moments panned out, as a group, we feel we achieved something special."

The series completed a circle of sorts for Nair, who had waited eight years for "another chance" he had pleaded for in a remarkable show of vulnerability on social media during his lowest ebb in 2021.

The journey was paved with resilience, cricket detours in England's village greens and later in the county circuit, and a mountain of runs in domestic cricket. When the India call finally came, he walked into a dressing room that emphasised a "team-first" attitude.

"Right at the very beginning, Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] bhai said, he doesn't want us to look at it as a team in transition," Nair says. "He didn't want us to feel that way. The first message we got was 'this isn't a young team, this is a gun team and everyone must feel it from within'. The messaging within the group was that everyone plays for the team and supports each other. It's one thing for the coach or the captain to say it, but to feel it was amazing."

Nair was particularly effusive in his praise for Shubman Gill's handling of the team, while also rising to the challenges of filling the void at No. 4 after Virat Kohli's Test retirement.

"The way Shubman held everyone together and the encouragement he gave was great to see. He was crystal clear with his communication from the beginning. To achieve what he did as a batter, while also leading the team...as a leader, he exemplified the spirit of Gauti bhai.

Nair himself had a far from satisfying series, though. His eight innings brought him 205 runs, and just one half-century, at The Oval. He got starts in nearly every innings but couldn't make them count.

"I was disappointed at not being able to convert the start at The Oval into a century," he says. "But looking back, it was quite important to grind my way on that first day with the team in a tricky position. I'd done well there previously; I'd gotten a 150 for Northants against Surrey. The nerves were there, but I was feeling good. I was hoping to convert, which I couldn't.

"It was an up-and-down series in that sense, and I did reflect a lot. But it's also important to let go of what has happened and look forward to what I need to do in the next few months. It's about keeping my focus levels up and making sure I go on and make big scores, irrespective of the level I'm playing at."

Nair picked out the late Lord's fightback from India's lower order on day five as one that galvanised the dressing room. "From that position, where we had lost so many wickets, to see the fight Nitish [Kumar Reddy] and [Mohammed] Siraj put with Jaddu [Ravindra Jadeja] was inspiring," he says. "That never-give-up attitude was on display. There was disappointment at losing the Test but everyone was inspired.

"Then to see Rishabh walk out to bat with a broken toe - it was one of the moments of the series. It was astonishing for everyone to see. It told you what a great player he is, and more importantly, the person he is. That kind of exemplified the philosophy of the team. Of putting everything first for the team, it's not about individuals."