ROSEAU, Dominica – Seasoned all-rounder Jason Holder has warned his fast-bowling group there will be little margin for error against India’s “extraordinary batsmen”, in the two-Test series bowling off here Wednesday.
All-rounder Jason Holder catches during training ahead of the opening Test against India. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)West Indies will come up against the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane who together have racked up 49 Test hundreds and nearly 17 000 runs, and Holder said it was important to “stay disciplined”.
Holder forms part of a four-pronged seam attack comprising Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel, who have taken a combined 664 Test wickets, and who are expected to feature prominently in the series.
“I think our fast-bowling cohort has probably led us over the longest period that I’ve known West Indies cricket and it’s just a matter for us to stay disciplined,” Holder said here Tuesday.
“I think we’ve got to be really disciplined. We’re coming up against a really good team and they’ve got some extraordinary batsmen.
“It’s still bat and ball that we’re playing; our bowlers are experienced, they’ve got a lot of Test wickets and it’s just for us to more or less come out and hit our straps, assess the conditions as quickly as possible and make sure that we make early inroads.”
A former Test captain, Holder has become a staunch member of the Test XI, and has picked up 155 wickets from 62 Tests since making his debut nine years ago.
He struggled last year, however, averaging 16 with the bat and 91 with the ball in five Tests, but has improved especially with the ball in four Tests this year – against Zimbabwe and South Africa – taking 12 wickets at 21 runs apiece.
Holder said his role on the field was just as important in the dressing room, especially as a senior player now.
“My role is pretty simple. I’ve been around in the dressing room for a while [and] for me, it’s just to make an environment where everybody is comfortable,” Holder said.
“I just think it’s really important for the youngsters coming through to be expressive but the only way they can be expressive is if they’re comfortable.
“So for me, it’s just about making them comfortable and hopefully we can all build a great legacy together.”
He continued: “I just go through my paces [in my preparation]. I’ve got a pretty nice routine that I tend to stick to, just trying to get my workloads gradually built up towards the first ball of the first Test match – and that’s with regards to bowling.
“When it comes to batting, [it’s] making sure I’m just topping up. I think movement is something that I spend a lot of time focusing on and I think once my movement is going well, then I think I’m playing well.”
