HomeAnalysisConsistent Jason Holder Has Come A Long Way With...

Consistent Jason Holder Has Come A Long Way With His Leadership

- Advertisement -

“One Test match doesn’t make a summer,” West India cricket team captain Jason Holder said, after his side’s 381-run win against England in the first Test match in Barbados. The number one all-rounder in the world conquered the field in the first match, but knows there is plenty to do still.
“We’ve got two Test matches to go and have to make sure we close out the series,” added Holder, who will be raring to have a crack at Joe Root’s men and win a rare Test series against a fancied opposition. Holder was brilliant in the first Test. The moment he walked on to the pitch with his side at 120/6 in the second innings, he wanted to to look in control.
The in-form player then went on to smash a 229-ball 202* to break a host of records in Test cricket. West Indies set a mighty 628-run target for England (their third largest ever). An improbable scenario for England beckoned with a lot of time left in the match. They ultimately folded for 246 in the final session on Day four. Windies marked one of their best wins in modern day cricket.
Who would have thought that part-time spinner Roston Chase will go on to pick eight English wickets. The positive energy flowed across the team and the collective performance downed the visitors. England were below par with their batting across both innings and they had lost the match in the second day itself, after being folded for 77.
Long time ago, Holder had impressed the Windies cricket hierarchy, who felt he was the best option to lead the side in the future and  take them through the struggles. At a young age with issues surrounding Windies cricket, the skipper kept his head in the right direction and looked patience.
Holder’s attitude non argumentative nature, got him to be liked and respected by one and all. Reports had always suggested that he’s down to earth, polite and non confrontational, despite being the best talent in the Windies circuit.
One would feel that this is just the start for Windies to usher on a new journey. One should remember that they have a relatively young squad with no superstars.

Led by Holder, Windies produce a masterclass

Jason Holder celebrates after scoring a double ton against England in Barbados. (Image: Twitter @ICC)

This was a performance by the side which saw everyone chip in. All the eleven members of the side came strong in one way or the other. There was hunger and determination in the eyes of the players and Holder deserves credit for keeping things in control.
Be it the young Shimron Hetmyer’s 81 in the first innings, or the energy of fast bowler Kemar Roach (5/17) who helped decimate England for 77. In the second innings there were worries for the hosts with pile of wickets tumbling in Barbados. But wicket-keeper batsman Shane Dowrich went on to improve his record against England with 116*. And then Chase had the final say.
Through all this, it was the performance of the skipper who recorded a maiden double hundred (202 not out), besides some smart moves in the field. His modest economy-rate of 1.88 and 2.00 across both the innings made this a perfect show by the all-rounder.
Holder hoped it is just the beginning for his side to really show their strengths. “I think we ticked a few boxes in this Test match. It’s about turning up in Antigua and doing the same,” said Holder in the post-match presentation.

The journey of Holder since 2014

Jason Holder celebrates after scoring his double ton against England. (Image: Twitter @ICC)
In 2014, Holder was West Indies captain at a tender age of 23. The moment came in first in the ODIs and then in Test cricket shortly after. Prior to that, Holder just had a handful of games at the top level. Some felt it was too early to give the reins to someone still fresh to the demands of international cricket. But what choice did WI have? They had to look out for someone that was far away from what was happening.The board had created this disastrous situation that saw the team back then enter into a major feud. The side back then had to just quit a tour of India because of a pay dispute. The situation had to arrive after relation with players had deteriorated for months. The discord and its effect is still being felt even up till today.
Many established players back then left the national set-up and went on to choose the global T20 leagues instead. That was a way out to earn some money through their enormous talent. Till date, the WI board has found itself reeling with controversies.
Now with everything happening around him, Holder kept his mind settled. He instead asked the players at his disposal to give their all and keep learning. There were many shabby performances in the longest format especially over the years, but finally Windies have a team that is looking to settle down.
Holder has had his share of difficult times. West Indies are eighth in the ICC Test Rankings and had to qualify for the ICC World Cup 2019 through the qualifiers. Performances on tours to India and Bangladesh were dismal. The young and talented squad at his disposal lacked the cutting edge and the consistency has been lacking.
But here is a man that has fought every part of this phase and kept his focus.

- Advertisement -

Holder has been influential since quite sometime 

Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich against England. (Image: Twitter @ICC)

The Windies skipper was part of the ICC Test Team of the Year (2018) for his stupendous show. He was chosen as the side’s all-rounder. The only Windies player to feature in the XI. In six matches, Holder took 33 wickets in 2018. What was notable was that he had four five-wicket hauls and an economy-rate of 2.77. He also scored a decent 336 runs during this phase.
He has started 2019 with a bang. A double ton and two wickets from one Test has got him the desired push. What this performance will do is that it will help Holder build on from here on. He will now want to give a better account of himself on a regular basis with the bat. Runs from his bat could win his side matches and Barbados was a testament of the same.
Holder’s bowling has developed considerably over time. The maturity has come with time. Early on, he was considered as someone with medium pace, who could keep things tight. But all that has changed. The way he set up Joe Root was pleasing to the eye. He kept bowling deliveries away from Root and then bang. One ball comes in  and gets Root striking him dead in front of his pads. There was a plan.
The latest rankings sees him rise to number one in the world among all-rounders. He has mostly been known as a bowling all-rounder, but he massively enhanced his batting reputation this time around.

Holder struck his third Test hundred and piled on in an unbeaten partnership of 295 with Dowrich. The beauty of the batting was that it was both grinding and brutal. Holder smashed five sixes in his first hundred and eight in all. Many a times, the shots that flowed was classy. He smashed Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid out of the attack which meant that England had to turn to others.

A performance that shattered many records

Holder and Chase pose for a photo after Windies’ victory against England. (Image: Twitter @ICC)

Holder became the third player in Test cricket to score a double century batting at number eight. His 229-ball 202* is now the second fastest Test double century against England. Former New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle (153 balls) holds the record for the fastest double ton against the En

The Windies captain also hit the most number of sixes in an innings, among batsmen from his side, against England (8). The 295-run stand between Holder and Dowrich is the third highest partnership in Tests for the seventh wicket.

The two cricketers have a great amount of understanding between themselves. Off the field they share a great camarederie as well. The two players are only second pair in Test cricket to be involved in hundred-run partnerships for the sixth, seventh and eighth wickets. This is mighty batting down the order. Holder’s double century is also the highest individual score by a number eight Windies batsman.

- Advertisement -

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -