Ashish Magotra
From the dizzy heights of his amazing debut to the lowly depths of his current obscurity, Vinod Ganpat Kambli has endured a lot in the last decade. Now, at 31, he has declared his intentions to make a comeback to the Test scene, eight years after he played his last Test for India.
The world has been witness to the record-breaking, run scoring feats Kambli is capable of when his mind is focused on the task. In his first seven Tests, the left-hander averaged 113.29, including two double centuries and two tons.
But after just 17 Tests (1,024 runs at 54.20), Kambli found he was an unwanted pawn in the Indian line-up. He still feels the selectors were harsh on him.
"My major setback is I have just played 17 Tests. I am not just an one-day player. I was never given a chance in Tests. I don't want to end up with an average of just 54. I want to make it much better. After 1995 nobody considered me a Test player but looking at the average and the runs I got I fully deserve a chance."
The critics said Kambli could not play short-pitched stuff. The series against West Indies in 1994-95 was a particularly bad one for him, his highest score was 40 in the three-Test series
"I worked on my batting against short-pitched bowling immediately after the series against West Indies. It's just a matter of adjusting and I adjust very quickly. I worked out a few things with all my coaches when I was playing for Mumbai," he says.
During the years outside the Indian team, Kambli began to drift. His fitness levels dropped rapidly and it was hard to picture him as the amazing stroke-player of yore. That is when the stint at the Boland Cricket Club in South Africa came about. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kambli was soon plying his trade on the bouncy pitches of South Africa.
"In South Africa they concentrate mainly on fitness. They work more on their fitness and fielding, then comes batting and bowling. I have really played hard in South Africa and worked on my fitness."
From a portly figure who weighed 78 kilos when last seen during the World Cup, Kambli has worked his way down to 68 kilos and promises that more kilos will be jettisoned before Mumbai's Irani Trophy encounter against the Rest of India in September.
In Kambli's absence, the Indian team's youth brigade -- Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif and Dinesh Mongia -- have gone ahead. So much so it is hard to see anyone -- leave alone Kambli -- break into the ODI team.
"I want to make it to the Indian team. I'll perform. It's not just hundreds. I am looking for big scores. I have set a goal for this season and I will get that goal. I think the big scores will definitely put pressure on everyone."
"As for the competition, I have never viewed anyone as a competitor. My job is to just concentrate on my game and score a lot of runs, not only 50s and 60s but big, big hundreds. The rest is up to the selectors," he adds.
"My stint in South Africa has made me a more patient, selective batsman. They tried to bounce me, they tried all sorts of things, there were verbal exchanges but I did not flinch. It made me like Steve Waugh, tough like him."
Waugh is one player he turns to for inspiration.
"I am a very big fan of Steve Waugh. He is under a lot of stress but everytime he goes out there, he gets a hundred. He is an inspiring sight. I want to be like him; just tough, tough and tough."
The shadow of Sachin Tendulkar will always hang over Vinod Kambli. Just after he made his amazing debut, Kambli described his school mate's success thus: 'He took the elevator and I took the stairs.'
"Tendulkar has still not reached the peak," Kambli says about his buddy. "He will, eventually. I am still taking the stairs. There were a few slippery floors on the way up, but now I am back on my feet. One day I will definitely reach the peak."
Some say Kambli found the fame and adulation too much to handle.
"I was always playing hard. There may be things that have happened unknowingly. There must be some things that went wrong. I am not saying I did everything perfectly but these phases come and you have to bide your time. It made me stronger and I am still learning."
The left-hander displays a new-found maturity.
"I never dreamt of playing for the country. It was just gully cricket and then, school cricket. The most important lesson I have learnt is how to get back into the Indian team. And it is not possible without working hard, putting in a determined effort and blessings from your parents. It is not easy to play for the country. In life, I have no complaints. I have met so many people and been around the world because of cricket."
"From the 11 year old to the 21 year old who made his debut to this point now, I have learnt a lot from life. I have set myself small goals and am going to really get my goals."
"There is no difference in the Kambli of now from that of a few years ago. He is still a jovial character. But now I have to look after my family and my parents. I know my responsibilities and I have to fulfill them. I still go down to Kanjurmarg (an area in northeast Mumbai) and meet my parents, though I stay in Pune."
Cricket means a lot to Kambli. For this game, he has sacrificed a lot and worked hard but one hopes that soon, he gets what everyone deserves, one last chance.
"I will never give up hope of playing for the country. My bat inspires me. I have another 3 to 5 years in me. I want to play and work harder than before. I love this game so much that I cannot give up. I will never give up this game."
