Rahul Dravid feared end of his career due to slump in form at one stage but drew inspiration from fellow Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar's fighting spirit to not only revive his career but also emerge as the leading Test run scorer this season.

Dravid revealed that he felt like it was all over for him due to prolonged lean patch and that he put too much pressure on himself during that period, worrying what would be the best time to call it quits. But changed his approach by observing how Tendulkar had come out of a similar tough period.

"I thought I had played my last Test match in Australia. If you have been someone who has contributed a lot for your team over the years, then to get the feeling that the team is carrying you is something that is not easy to get used to.

It was a difficult period for me," Dravid said in an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, recalling how he felt at the end of India's last tour Down Under about four years ago. The right-hander then had equally bad tour against the Australians at home and against England but he was not dropped from the side and finally he succeeded in regaining his touch.