Uttamchandani (inset) believes the giant Antiguan deserves a place in the West Indies team.
International cricket commentator and SportsMax correspondent Nikhil Uttamchandani has questioned Rahkeem Cornwall’s continued omission from the West Indies Test team in light of his consistent performances at the regional level.
During a recent edition of the Sportsmax Zone, Uttamchandani, while reviewing the first round of the 2023 West Indies Championship, was asked about Cornwall’s performance against Jamaica.
Cornwall starred with bat and ball, registering scores of 29 and 85, and finished with ten wickets for just 95 runs against the Jamaica Scorpions.
The burly Antiguan also took a tournament-best 23 first-class wickets in the five matches last year but has not played a Test for the West Indies since November 2021.
There has not been much from Cricket West Indies with regards to Cornwall’s continued omission from the Test squad but Uttamchandani opined that fitness should not be a concern.
“If fitness is a problem, how is he able to play four days of cricket consistently?” he questioned.
“Why are there [fitness] concerns when we go to Test cricket, which is just one additional day to the four-day cricket he is used to playing and is excelling with both bat and ball?”
Uttamchandani is hopeful that if Cornwall continues to do well this season, he will get that deserved return to the West Indies team.
The 30-year-old took 34 test wickets in nine matches, including a 10-wicket haul against Afghanistan in 2019.
He has scored two Test fifties in his career and is known for his powerful hitting in T20 cricket and boasts a strike rate of 147.49, which is among the highest in the world.
This, according to Uttamchandani, could make him a valuable asset to the Windies.
“He brings a unique style of play with the bat as we saw in that game [against Jamaica]. He scored 85 from 95 deliveries. He is destructive as we have seen in the CPL for years,” he added.
“[When] you look at England and Australia, the [Test] game is going in the direction of having that flexibility of aggressive players in your middle to lower order.”
Ultimately for Uttamchandani, “Rahkeem Cornwall ticks all the boxes.”
Only Versammy Permaul has taken more wickets than the 63 that Cornwall has taken in the last three domestic seasons.
If he can stay up top of the wickets column in 2023, it will be interesting to see if he does get his opportunity later in the year when the Indians tour the Caribbean in July.
McCaskie scores 92 to guide Pride to first-innings lead over Red Force at Queen’s Park Oval
Opener Zachary McCaskie fell eight runs shy of a maiden first-class hundred as the Barbados Pride hold a 37-run lead over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force after day two of their fourth-round fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval
At lunch, the Pride were 108-3 off 40 overs. Zachary McCaskie and Shane Dowrich were the batsmen at the crease on 71 and two, respectively.
McCaskie carried on after lunch and looked set for his maiden first-class ton before he fell for 92.
At tea, the Pride were 222-6 off 72 overs. Roshon Primus and Akeem Jordan were the batsmen at the crease on 38 and 22, respectively.
Shortly after tea, Primus brought up his fifty before being dismissed for a 71-ball 53.
Eventually, the Pride were bowled out for 271 in 85 overs, a first innings lead of 68 runs.
The Red Force were 31-2 in their second innings at stumps, trailing by 37 runs with Darren Bravo (20) and Brian Charles (5) at the crease.
Chanderpaul, Imlach score late fifties as Harpy Eagles build 301-run lead over Scorpions
Opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul and wicket-keeper/batsman Tevin Imlach notched late half-centuries as the Guyana Harpy Eagles ended day two of their fourth-round fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions with a 301-run second innings lead at Providence.
The hosts began the day 268-9 off 86.3 overs.
Harpy Eagles captain Leon Johnson carried on from his overnight 142 to finish 150* as Guyana were bowled out for 278 off 88.1 overs.
Marquino Mindley ended with 3-34 while Ojay Shields and Derval Green both ended with two wickets.
The Scorpions endured a horrendous start to their reply losing half of the team for just 24 runs inside six overs and three balls.
Eventually, they found themselves 64-9 in the 18th over before a39-run 10th wicket partnership between Derval Green and Nicholson Gordon meant they entered the lunch break 103-9 off 27 overs.
The pair added 12 more runs after lunch before Green fell for a top score 42 as the Scorpions were dismissed for 115 in 35.5 overs.
Nial Smith ended with 5-39 while Veerasammy Permaul and Ronsford Beaton took 3-22 and 2-22, respectively.
Mindley then led a Scorpions fightback before tea as he grabbed four quick wickets, including that of Leon Johnson, within the first 12 overs of the Harpy Eagles second innings.
The score at tea was 37-4 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 14 and Tevin Imlach yet to get off the mark.
After tea, Chanderpaul and Imlach continued on to leave the Harpy Eagles 138-4 at stumps, a lead of 301 runs with Chanderpaul on 60 and Imlach on 50.
Athanaze, Hodge lead Volcanoes comeback after James’ 107 at Brian Lara Stadium
Windward Islands Volcanoes captain Alick Athanaze and Leeward Islands Hurricanes all-rounder Kofi James both got centuries on day two of their fourth-round fixture at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Thursday.
The Hurricanes began the day 271-6 off 90 overs with Karima Gore on 87 and James on 61.
Gore went on to make 93 off 198 balls including 13 fours and a six.
At lunch, they reached 338-7 off 116 overs with James on 96 and Jeremiah Louis on 18.
After the break, James carried on to bring up his maiden first-class ton before he was the second-to-last man to be dismissed, falling for 107 off 248 balls. Jeremiah Louis also made a valuable contribution with 45 as the Leewards declared their innings on 382-9 off 121.5 overs.
Shermon Lewis took 3-76 for the Volcanoes while new ball partner Preston McSween provided good support with 2-68.
At tea, the Windwards were 65-2 off 15 overs with in-form batsmen Kavem Hodge and captain Alick Athanaze at the crease on 33 and 21, respectively.
Athanaze and Hodge continued after tea, with the former bringing up his second hundred of the season, bringing his overall tally past 500 for the season. Hodge also brought up his third fifty of the season.
At Stumps, the Volcanoes were 206-2, trailing the Hurricanes by 176 runs with Athanaze and Hodge on 105 and 85, respectively.
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