AFG vs WI | Just tried to stay as balanced as possible, reckons Rahkeem Cornwall
Rahkeem Cornwall has revealed that he focused on his balance while bowling which helped him pick a splendid seven-wicket haul against Afghanistan in Lucknow yesterday. The burly all-rounder has also added that he would remember the day as one of the most remarkable days of his career.
His imposing physique might have been the subject of many memes but Cornwall knows his craft. A simple walk down towards the batsmen helps him generate a solid top-spin and it saw him wreak havoc on Afghanistan. The off-spinner dismantled the middle-order to leave Afghanistan reeling and his 7 for 75 is the fifth-best figures by a visiting spinner in India and Cornwall insisted that he couldn't have done it alone.
"I have to cherish this day. I will remember it for the rest of my life and look to keep getting performances like this as the journey goes on. It was a special day... not just the way I bowled but for some of the catches as well - by the captain at leg slip and Shai with two sharp one at slip. I still see myself as a batting allrounder... so the wickets are a bonus. I will look to get some runs when I bat as well," the offspinner said after the end of day's play, reported Cricbuzz.
With a slip, short leg and leg slip, Cornwall exploited the sharp turn on offer and kept the defence at bay. The leg-slip helped them restain from the back-and-across whip and that indicated a solid plan in place. The spinner, who has been successful in limited-overs cricket in the past, has put it down to the work done with bowling coach Roddy Estwick.
"I was just looking to put the ball in the right areas and do what the captain asked of me. I just tried to stay as balanced as possible, which is something I spoke a lot about with Roddy Estwick. We decided to bowl first, as the captain has said earlier, that there was some moisture in the first hour. It is turning a lot, but once the ball turns a little softer and older, it's not as much, so I had to use my variations."