‘I thought my career was over’: Padikkal on toughest phase ahead of NZ Tests

India's Devdutt Padikkal (PTI Photo)

After a disappointing outing against Australia ‘A’ at home, Devdutt Padikkal has found his rhythm in the blustery conditions of New Zealand. Ahead of India’s two-Test series against the Black Caps, the 26-year-old spoke about a journey shaped by setbacks, self-doubt and success.

Excerpts from an interview...How has your preparation been for the New Zealand Tests?Pretty good. I’ve had a few sessions back home and played a couple of India ‘A’ games against Australia ‘A’. Obviously, the conditions were different, but at the same time, it’s important that you keep playing some red-ball cricket. Now, it’s just about making a few adjustments.

Could you elaborate?The wind is something that’s going to play a pretty major role, especially in Wellington.

The India ‘A’ games are key for us to really understand the conditions and get used to them quickly.How much is video analysis a part of your preparations?I’ve watched games played in New Zealand and even the England series that took place there (2024). The conditions can be different when we go out there. It’s important that I adapt quickly.I practise things that I technically need to work on. I try to make sure that I’m playing the ball late, playing with the swing and trying to get those minute things right when I’m back home.

Once I go out there, that’s when I try to understand the conditions and then adapt to them.From Dharamshala to Perth to Galle, you’ve had a roller-coaster journey in Test cricket...Every cricketer would have gone through something similar. They would have had that phase in their lives when they were trying to find answers. For me, the last couple of years were about trying to understand where my game was at and what I needed to work on to make sure that when I got a chance again, I was prepared.Did you have any conversations with the seniors in the team?I remember having a conversation with KL (Rahul) when I was in Australia about what I could do going ahead and what I needed to work on. The conversation was about just trying to evolve and get better at your game every day.

Were you disappointed to miss the England tour last year?100 per cent! Overseas tours are always a great experience, especially for someone young like me.How difficult is it to navigate different formats?Not easy. You have to compartmentalise a lot when you switch formats. At the Ranji Trophy level, you still have seven to eight days of break between formats. If you try to mix red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket, it doesn’t bring a lot of success.Looking back, was the bout of illness in 2022 tougher than any on-field challenge?That was definitely the most difficult part of my life so far. I thought this was going to be the end of my cricketing career because when you’re out of cricket in India for a period that long, even if you miss one season, it feels like everyone else is miles ahead of you.