Shamarh Brooks, spinners put West Indies on brink of win against Afghanistan

At stumps, Afghanistan were reeling at 109/7 in the second innings. With a slender 19-run cushion and only three wickets in hand, it seems difficult for Afghanistan to avoid a rout on Friday.

Shamarh Brooks smashed his maiden century in the longest format on Thursday to put West Indies on the brink of winning the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Lucknow.

Resuming the second day on 68/2, Brooks’s 111 off 214 balls ensured that the West Indies reach 277 in 83.3 overs and take a healthy 90-run lead at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. Off-spinners Rahkeem Cornwall and Roston Chase then picked three wickets each to further dent Afghanistan’s chances.

At stumps, Afghanistan were reeling at 109/7 in the second innings. With a slender 19-run cushion and only three wickets in hand, it seems difficult for Afghanistan to avoid a rout on Friday.

For Afghanistan, debutant spinner Amir Hamza picked up 5/74 for a dream start but it was Brooks’s resilience that overshadowed the Afghanistan bowlers’ fight. Though he survived a couple of LBW appeals from Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, Brooks stood his ground by mixing aggression with caution. Brooks had his revenge too, as he smashed two fours and a six off Rashid in one over. In all, Brooks hit 15 fours and a six.

Ultimately, the No. 4 batsman had to depart when he got bowled by Hamza while trying to hit over the mid-wicket.

Another overnight batsman John Campbell scored a 75-ball 55, his maiden half-century, with the help of seven fours and a six. He and Brooks added 82 runs for the third wicket. Campbell was at his destructive best against Hamza, whom he hit for 15 runs in the second over of the day. Campbell too fell to Hamza as he was caught at leg gully by Ihsanullah.

No. 5 Shimron Hetmyer (13) and No. 6 Roston Chase (2) did not last long. Hetmyer was trapped in front of the wicket by Rashid, while Chase fell to left-arm spinner Zahir Khan, caught at short leg off an inside edge.

With scoreboard reading 150/5, it looked like Afghanistan had bounced back in the game, but a 91-ball 42 from wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich, including six hits to the fence, dashed their hopes. He also added 74 runs for the sixth wicket with Brooks.

Spinners in action

West Indies skipper Jason Holder rightly pressed spinners Cornwall and Chase into action after bowling just three overs with the new ball in the second innings. The two spinners did not disappoint.

Cornwall, who took a career-best 7/75 in the first innings, bagged 3/41 whereas Chase claimed 3/10 in three overs to leave Afghanistan struggling.

However, the start was different. Afghanistan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Javed Ahmadi stitched a 53-run stand. The slide started when Zadran (23, 63b, 4x4) became the first victim of Cornwall, as he was trapped in front of the wicket.

No. 3 Ihsanullah (1) was run out. Rahmat Shah (0) and Asghar Afghan (0) fell to Cornwall as Brooks caught both of them at forward short-leg in the space of eight deliveries. The scoreboard read 59/4.

Chase caused further collapse as he snapped up Nasir Jamal (15) and Amir Hamza (1) in quick succession, before taking the prized-wicket of Ahmadi, who hit his maiden half-century in just his second Test. On the final delivery of the day, Ahmadi tried to play an outgoing delivery with soft hands, but edged to Cornwall. His 93-ball 62 contained 11 fours.