Nayar said Rahul began his preparations for the England tour without wasting any time after the IPL.

“He has worked very, very hard. Very few people know that after the birth of his child, he was in the IPL and came back immediately,” Nayar said. “He started preparing for the (England) Test series while a lot of people wouldn’t have done that. He knew the importance of this series. He understood it.”

“And every minute post the last game that he played in the IPL was about how he could do well in this Test series. So it’s great to see him do well there and get the recognition he rightly deserves — being the guy who’s done all the dirty jobs and still managed to perform at every number in that batting order,” he added.

Speaking ahead of the fifth Test, Nayar said, “All in all, Indian cricket is in good hands and hopefully we wrap it up today (Sunday) and everything’s good.”

Nayar also praised the character shown by the Indian team during the tour.

“A lot of the changes you’ve seen in our players getting runs are also due to the conditions that have played a part, but also because of the hunger our players have shown to go out there and prove a point,” he said.

“The determination in the last game (in Manchester), the fight they showed — it just tells you about the mentality our players carry and the feeling they have for Test cricket,” he added.