Afghanistan’s spinners were expected to turn on the heat on West Indies’ batsmen in their ongoing one-off Test, and they just might, but the first day of the game belonged to all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who yanked the heart out of the Afghanistan innings with a seven-wicket haul.
This article was written in collaboration with Cricket Betting.
On the eve of the one-off Test against West Indies, Lance Klusener, Afghanistan’s coach had proudly pointed out at his rich spin-bowling reserves, and what he expects of them. “There’s no hiding the fact that our strength is spin. We’ve got three of the best spin bowlers in the world,” Klusener had stated.
Before his spinners took the field, and shared two wickets in the dying stages of day one, their thunder was stolen by Rahkeem Cornwall, the West Indian all-rounder, who cleaned up Afghanistan’s middle order with figures of 7-75, the best Test figures on Indian soil this year.
Afghanistan have been shot out for 187, no small thanks to Rahkeem Cornwall, who finishes with figures of 7-75. Three Afghan batsmen got into the thirties but failed to make it count.#AFGvWIhttps://t.co/GgC7so3moG pic.twitter.com/Fi5CO6hFUX
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 27, 2019
Cornwall towers at 6’5’’, a figure more associated with lanky quicks from the West Indies but his height helps him impart extra lift off the surface. Alongside his characteristic control that he attributes to his self-referenced “upper body strength”, he has the ingredients to be an effective operator in Test cricket.
And while he repeated the thoroughly-cliched line of putting “the ball in the right areas” after play, Cornwall did impress with his ability to consistently hit the right lengths, making full use of the early moisture at the venue, and later, as the ball became older, turn from the pitch.
#AFGvWI 🗣"I have to cherish this day. I will remember this day for the rest of my life and keep getting performances like this as the journey goes on" – Rahkeem 'Jimbo' Cornwall on his maiden 5 wicket haul pic.twitter.com/9E0CJncu1j
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) November 27, 2019
After picking up the wicket of opener Ibrahim Zadran, West Indies’ first breakthrough of the day, Cornwall repeatedly struck blows soon after the 56-run stand for the second wicket was broken, reducing Afghanistan from 90-2 to 98-6 in six overs – picking up all four of that spree of wickets. It gave him his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket – Cornwall has played just one Test before this – and the first five-for from a West Indian spinner away from home since 2013.
A feisty partnership between Afsar Zazai and Amir Hamza, worth 54 runs for the eighth wicket, ticked Afghanistan past 150, but it was Cornwall, again, who returned to snare another one. By the time the innings came to a close, with Afghanistan folding for 187, Cornwall had the second-best ever Test figures by a West Indian on Indian soil, behind Andy Robert’s 1975 spell of 7-64.
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The Afghanistan spinners, licking their fingers at the prospect of operating on a turning Lucknow track, gave a teaser for what’s in store. Amir Hamza pushed the openers on the back foot, and trapped Kraig Brathwaite in front of the sticks. Rashid Khan, who thrives in such conditions, spun the ball both in and out too, claiming Shai Hope soon after.
Despite an unbeaten 34-run stand for the third wicket, West Indies could be in for a tricky early phase on day two, with the Afghanistan spinners expected to be assisted by the early moisture. However, the first day was Cornwall’s, the heavily-built West Indian off-spinner, who continues to buck all stereotypes and change trends.
