Afghanistan vs West Indies: Rahkeem Cornwall stars as Caribbeans consign hosts to nine-wicket loss in Lucknow Test

Lucknow: West Indies handed Afghanistan a crushing nine-wicket defeat within three days in the one-off cricket Test. [caption id=“attachment_7183081” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rahkeem Cornwall achieved a match haul of 10 wickets against Afghanistan. AFP[/caption] Resuming on Friday at 109/7 with a lead of only 19 runs, Afghanistan were bowled out for 120 in their second innings inside the half an hour on the third morning. Captain Jason Holder (3-20) polished off the Afghanistan tail as he got the outside edges of Rashid Khan and Afsar Zazai’s bats and bowled Yamin Ahmadzai. The West Indies hurried to 33/1 with John Campbell remaining unbeaten on 19 when he smashed left-arm spinner Amir Hamza over mid-off for a winning boundary. The only blot in an otherwise a comprehensive win for West Indies was the form of Kraigg Brathwaite, who fell for 8 runs to Hamza to continue a barren run in the format. Afghanistan went into the match aiming to be the first country to win three of their first four Test matches. Afghanistan lost to India inside two days in their inaugural Test, but then beat Ireland and Bangladesh. This one was no real contest, though, and Afghanistan are now 2-2 since being elevated to the elite Test cricket ranks. Off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall was the architect of West Indies’ big win on a turning wicket in this northern Indian city with a match haul of 10-121. Cornwall ran through the top order twice, returning figures of 7-75 and 3-46 that restricted Afghanistan to paltry innings totals of 187 and 120. Shamarh Brooks then notched his maiden Test hundred as West Indies replied with 277 for a first-innings lead of 90. Both teams had earlier split the white-ball series — also played at the same venue. West Indies swept Afghanistan 3-0 in ODI series before Afghanistan won the Twenty20 series 2-1 after losing the first match.