ENG vs WI 2017: Jason Holder Suggests Players to Look up in the ‘Mirror’ after Edgbaston Loss
Dec 31, 2018 at 1:58 PM
Following the humiliating defeat in the first-ever pink ball Test match in England, Windies skipper Jason Holder came hard at his teammates and suggested them to give their best in the remainder of the Test series.
The 25-year-old expressed his dissatisfaction and asked the players to go under introspection in a bid to improve their game while facing the stern Test.
“Each player has to look themselves in the mirror and see where they can improve.” Holder was quoted as saying by Press Association after talking to reporters.
The bowling all-rounder feels any team could bounce back, as he further says the series has not been lost yet by the visitors after losing the Test by an innings and 209 runs at Edgbaston inside three days.
“The series is not lost… I have to believe, (as) every team is beatable,” Holder added.
Holder, who sweated out both with the ball and bat, stated there is a daunting task at hands for the visitors after they suffered yet another humiliation in the longer formats.
“We got beaten in three days and just weren’t up to scratch,” Holder asserted.
Admitting the fact of being sluggish during the day-and-night Test, Holder reveals the side didn’t bowl well and eventually failed to put runs on the scoreboard.
“It’s been a tough few days – we were disappointing in this Test match. We lacked consistency when we bowled and we didn’t put up any runs,” Holder maintained.
(Read Report: England Demolish Windies Inside three days to Register Massive Win)
It’s pertinent to point out that Windies side was bundled out for 168 in the first innings, before being skittled out at 137 in 45.4 overs following the enforced follow on.
Since 2000, while struggling in the away conditions, the Caribbean side is yet to win a Test in England and would be aiming to have a shot at Root’s home-base Yorkshire. The Windies players were criticised for their poor show after Alastair Cook’s double ton (243) helped England to post 514 for eight before the declaration came from the dressing room.
After losing 19 wickets in a single day, Windies captain Holder still holds faith in his team to re-emerge as a unit and eventually give a hard fight against England, in the second Test which is scheduled at Headingley in Leeds on Friday (August 25).
“We have to regroup — it’s only one Test, and we can’t drop our heads down,” said Holder.
After enjoying their dominance in the 1970s and 80s, Windies, of late lacked the sheen and proper planning for not involving the seniors in the scheme of things for the longer format owing to the Windies Cricket Board’s (WICB) rigid approach.
However, in the shorter version of the game Windies excelled as a combination.