Brooks, spinners put West Indies in command

Brooks made 111 as West Indies managed a lead of 90 after it was 277 all out in the second session of day two in the northern Indian city of Lucknow, which has been hit by heavy air pollution over the past month.

Spinners Rakheem Cornwall and Roston Chase then took three wickets each to leave Afghanistan tottering at 109 for seven at stumps on day two. The Afghans lead by just 19 runs in its second innings. Opener Javed Ahmadi made 62 before falling to Chase’s off spin on the final delivery of the day dominated by West Indies, who resumed on 68 for two in response to Afghanistan’s 187. Afghanistan slipped from none for 53 to stare down the barrel, losing seven wickets for 56 runs in a dramatic collapse.

“Once they were 50 for no loss, we thought we had to hang in there and get one wicket and you never know,” Brooks said at the end of day. Cornwall, the heaviest man in Test cricket, weighing 140 kilogrammes, rattled the Afghanistan top-order and improved his match haul to 10 so far. The 26-year-old Cornwall, who returned figures of 7-75 with his off spin on day one, struck in three successive overs.

He trapped Ibrahim Zadran for 23 after a brisk start by the Afghan openers and then got Rahmat Shah and Asghar Afghan back in the pavilion for scores of zero. Chase also took three wickets in his three overs.

Brief scores: Afghanistan 187 & 109/7 in 36 overs (J Ahmadi 62, R Cornwall 3/41, R Chase 3/10) vs WI 277 in 83.3 overs (S Brooks 111).