Mohammad Kaif admits that being left out of India's one-day team for a few matches forced him to have a closer look at his batting technique and gives credit to captain Rahul Dravid for helping him to rediscover his form.
Kaif cracked an unbeaten 66 and was involved in a match-defining partnership with skipper Dravid which helped India win the first one-dayer against the West Indies.
"When I came in, it was comforting to hear your captain tell you not to worry about dot balls and take your time to get settled. He prepared me for the role ahead," said Kaif.
Kaif said he was inspired by Dravid's form at the other end which he termed as nothing less than sublime.
"Every match he goes out and scores runs. I don't know how to explain his character. As a captain he sets example and you can see the boys responding."
Kaif watched Dravid shift gears effortlessly. Even though they have similar styles, Kaif said because of past failures, he wanted to take his time to settle down.
"He is in top form so you too feel good about yourself. But the kind of form I was in, I needed time to settle in. When you are lacking runs, you want to make sure you feel good."
So it did not matter to Kaif when he got off the mark off the 12th ball or when the West Indies had briefly flickered into life bringing the equation down to 12 runs in the final two overs.
"It wasn't a worrying equation. The way their field was set, I knew there was a run everytime the ball hit the bat."
The equation was down to four runs in the final over and the first two balls yielded nothing.
Suresh Raina, at the other end, cursed himself when he took only a single out of a rank half volley.
"I was mad at myself for I could have hit it for six," he said later but Kaif was his unflappable self.
"I would not have panicked even if it was to be down to the wire, the very last ball of the match. It does not help to panic because then you could miss a dot ball or get out."
That explains why Kaif did not panic when he missed the last four one-day internationals India played.
He, however, admitted that it forced him to take a closer look at his batting technique and style.
"You do not bother about technique when you are doing well. It's only when you are not doing well that you start looking at technical issues closely," Kaif said.
The Uttar Pradesh batsman is mildly critical of people who do not appreciate his role in the squad, which is to hold one end up.
"Some people play big shots and take less balls. Others take more balls to build an innings or a stand.
"We have done so well over the last few matches and it's because everyone has a role. But there are times when a few wouldn't do well. That's the time when they need to be supported."
His feels that his knock of 49 in the practice game was very important.
"Before the start of tour, every match is important. Montego Bay was thus very vital and I came away feeling nice about the way ball hit the bat."
Now that life is good again, Kaif promises the world would see a new Kaif in every innings from now on.
"I want to be more consistent and that's exactly what I want to do now. You would be seeing a different Kaif on this tour," he said.
