West Indies reach 68-2 after Afghanistan fall for 187

Windies trail Afghans by 119 runs with 8 wickets remaining

Stephen F. Austin guard Kevon Harris drives to the basket against Duke forward Jack White (41) and guard Cassius Stanley (2) during the first half of an

NCAA college basketball game in Durham, North Carolina on Nov 26. (AP)

LUCKNOW, India, Nov 27, (AP): West Indies off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall took a career-best 7-75 in only his second Test match to help bowl out Afghanistan for 187 on a spinners-dominated first day of the one-off Test on Wednesday.

The stocky 26-year-old Cornwall engineered Afghanistan’s top-order collapse by taking five wickets during his lengthy first spell of 21 overs. He snared two more wickets after a brief break which somewhat bailed out captain Jason Holder’s decision to bowl first on a turning wicket in this northern Indian city.

West Indies also had early trouble and reached 68-2 at stumps with both wickets falling to Afghanistan spinners. West Indies still trails by 119 runs with John Campbell 30 not out while Shamarh Brooks was unbeaten on 19.

Out-of-form opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite (11) fell lbw to debutant left-arm spinner Amir Hamza and Shai Hope (7) got a thick edge to slip off leg-spinner Rashid Khan’s sharp delivery as spinners took 10 of the 12 wickets on the first day.

Afghanistan batsmen had early success against seamer Kemar Roach, who didn’t hit the right lengths in hazy conditions.

But Cornwall struck a crucial blow just before lunch when he had Ihsanullah (24) caught in the lone slip as Afghanistan slumped to 90-3 after moving comfortably to 84-1.

Afghanistan slid further to 111-7 with Cornwall running through the middle order and taking a low ankleheight catch in the slip to dismiss Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan (1).

Cornwall

In addition to scoring for his side, he also created two quality chances, one for C.K. Vineeth and another for substitute Mobashir Rahman.

Just before half time Goa could have leveled but Carlos Pena’s glancing header at the front post seemingly on target was tipped over by Subrata Paul with his left hand and soon after he again saved another header from Edu Bedia from Jackichand Singh’s cross.

It was a nervy moment for Subrata, who was unable to get his hands around the ball and the ball hit his left foot, just inside the goal-line and replays suggested that not ‘all of the ball’ had crossed the line.

Again in the 61st minute Edu Bedia played a neat pass to Jackichand Singh on the right flank and although under no pressure from the Jamshedpur defence he shot wide.

Against Jamshedpur, Goa dominated in midfield and had 20 attempts on goal compared to the visitors who had eight, one of which they converted. In spite of all this Subrata Paul was seldom tested and in the absence of injured Corominas and suspended Hugo Boumous, the home side lacked composure during crucial moments.

To add insult to injury the Goa players committed needless fouls right throughout the match and Ahmed Jahouh’s sending off – for a lunge from behind on Jamshedpur’s Noe Acosta – midway through the second half was the culmination of some of the home team’s dangerous play.