There is no sadder sight in sport than to see talent going to waste. And symbolising this truism is Vinod Kambli. The batsman who thundered on the international scene with double centuries in successive Test matches in his first season - a feat that put him alongside Bradman and Hammond - six years later seems to have reached a stage where he might have lost his place in the Indian team forever.

It may be premature to make a sweeping statement like that. But then what else can one say when a batsman is out for single digit scores repeatedly in Sri Lanka and Singapore and in conditions which generally favoured the batsmen? Plainly put it was a pathetic sight to see Kambli struggling not only with the bat but also in the field. Whatever happened to the commanding strokeplayer who had the English, Zimbabwe and Sri Lankan bowlers on their knees during his golden year of 1993 when in his first seven Tests, he amassed 793 runs with two double centuries, two centuries at an average of 113.29. His average was the highest among the six leading batsmen who had scored more runs than him - and the remaining five players answered to the name of Bradman, Gavaskar, Headley, Weekes and Worrell. For that matter, Kambli still averages 54 in the 17 Tests that he has played in. However, even that represents a steep fall from the astounding figure of 113.

But then Kambli has always been a bit of a problem despite his immense gifts. On talent alone he would rate Tendulkar's equal. It is in attitude, approach and discipline that the current Indian captain scores over his former school mate. The proper comparasion would probably be Gavaskar and Viswanath. Gavaskar was always the first to admit that Viswanath was the better batsman. And yet while Gavaskar's Test career average is 51, Viswanath's is 41. A more disciplined approach saw Gavaskar's career stretch over a longer period and end with the better record but on talent alone, the figures do scant respect to Viswanath.

Kambli's image has always been that of an easy going, casual player who gets to a bad ball when well set. To be fair to Kambli, this image has probably been created by his easy going lifestyle and casual clothes. Being Tendulkar's school chum has also been a problem in that the accusation has always been there that he has been selected because of his close friendship with the current Indian captain. To add to his misfortune he has had a couple of mishaps which have curtailed his career when almost by divine right he should have had a place in the middle order - anything between No 3 and No 5 - for all these years. His other problem is that he has never had the image of a fighter.

However fate seems to have given him one last chance. Not in the original squad for Toronto, Kambli finds himself making the trip due to the withdrawal, through injuries, of Tendulkar and Jadeja. It is now up to Kambli to shake off his image as an easy going, casual player and create for himself a fresh image of a fighter. Kambli has a lot to contribute to Indian cricket. What he lacks is self confidence. Once he shakes this off, he could well be a tower of strength to the Indian batting for years to come.