Windies vs England 2019: Jason Holder Calls Tests Win as Exceptional, Aims to Climb Ladder with 3-0 Result

Jason Holder, the Windies skipper, has labelled the Antigua Test win over England as exceptional. On Saturday, the hosts won the second match by ten wickets, thus bagging the three-match series 2-0. Meanwhile, Holder, who was delighted with the result said this win is perhaps Windies’ most significant Test victory in many years. He added the team will now look to blank the Poms at home to rise in the ICC rankings.

To beat England in 3 days is big – Holder

England landed in the Caribbean islands as one of the best touring sides in cricket; lately, they whitewashed Sri Lanka at their home in Tests. However, the result didn’t repeat itself against the Windies. In the first Test in Barbados, Holder-led team won by a massive margin of 381 runs.

The impact of the victory only got better in the following game, as in Antigua, the Windies cruised home with ten wickets in hand. Meanwhile, Holder said to come back and win the match within three days will boost the confidence in the dressing room. Moreover, he said, as a skipper, he aims for a 3-0 win now; as the points are at stake.

“It is probably one of our biggest series [wins],” he explained after the third day on Saturday, 2 February. “Exceptional, to be honest. To see the guys [put in] such a performance in Barbados and come out here to beat England in three days and winning the series is just pleasing.

“We still want to win the series 3-0. Points are still up for grabs in the overall rankings. Moving up the ladder is something we have spoken about in the dressing room. It is not a situation to become complacent or relax, we need to start again just as we did here.”

This (Test win) could be a start of new things –  Jason

Since the Windies have found more success in T20 cricket over the years, the inclination of the fans is of course towards the shortest format. However, Holder is of the opinion that a Test series win over England could be a start of new things for hosts.

Backing it, he added there are youngsters in the country who aspire to become great Test cricketers. Plus he said the love for the red-ball cricket is very much there.

“The love for Test cricket is there. We’ve got a lot of young players who are aspiring to be Test cricketers,” said the Windies skipper. “It is my favourite format of the game. It’s just a matter of clinching a few more series. Hopefully, this could be a start of new things.”

The third and final Test of the series is scheduled for Saturday (February 9th) in St. Lucia.