Happy Birthday Jason Holder: A Look at Five Best Performances by West Indies Skipper
The 28-year old made his debut in February 2013 and has emerged as one of the prolific all-rounders produced by West Indies. To date, the cricketer has featured in 39 Tests in which he piled 1887 runs and took 101 wickets. In ODIs, he has registered 1771 runs and 130 wickets from 101 outings.
West Indies' All-rounder Jason Holder celebrates his 28th birthday on Tuesday. Born on November 5, 1991, Holder is one of the best all-rounders in the modern era and also is the captain of the national team in Tests. Hailing from Barbados, the cricketer is a right-arm pacer who can exploit the new ball well and a handy batsman down the order. Apart from that, Holder is a proven leader too. The all-rounder took over the reins of the side in 2015 when many senior players refused to play for West Indies. Recently, the latter was replaced by Kieron Pollard as the captain in the limited-over form while he continues to lead the side in Test matches. West Indies Announce Squads for Afghanistan Tour 2019, Kieron Pollard to Lead Side in ODIs and T20Is While Jason Holder Remains Test Captain.
The 28-year old made his debut in February 2013 and has emerged as one of the prolific all-rounders produced by West Indies. To date, the cricketer has featured in 39 Tests in which he piled 1887 runs and took 101 wickets. In ODIs, he has registered 1771 runs and 130 wickets from 101 outings. Holder is currently sitting at the pinnacle of the all-rounder's ranking in Test and will aim to extend his purple patch in the upcoming games too. Talking about Holder's ability on the cricket field, let's look at his five best performances in international cricket.
202 Against England in Bridgetown
The first Test of England's 2019 Tour of West Indies witnessed a spectacular knock by the Caribbean captain. On a pitch where the visitors were bundled out for mere 77 runs, Holder toiled the bowlers and registered his maiden double ton in Test matches. Courtsey the knock, the hosts piled up 415 runs in the third innings of the match and later clinched the encounter by a massive margin of 381 runs.
5/27 Against India in Antigua
The Caribbean Skipper bowled a terrific spell and dismantled the Indian batting line-up in the 4th ODI of India's 2017 Tour of West Indies. Defending mere 189 runs in the second innings, the pacer bowled brilliantly and took wickets at regular intervals. The Men in Blue were dented by Holder's commendable bowling performance as they were packed for just 178 runs and lost the match by 11 runs.
52 & 5/56 Against India in Ahemdabad
In the 2nd Test of West Indies' 2018 Tour of India, Holder displayed an all-round performance and proved his mettle. In the first innings of the match, the skipper scored an important half-century to guide his team to a decent score of 311 runs. He came good with the ball too and dismissed five Indian batsmen. However, Holder didn't receive much support from his teammates and the visitors lost the match by 10 wickets.
103 Against England in Antigua
Another Jason Holder's terrific knock came in the opening Test of England's 2015 Tour of West Indies. The hosts were reeling at 189/6 while chasing 437 and their defeat was on the cards. However, Holder came to bat at number eight and played a well-compiled knock. The all-rounder just didn't successfully defend his wicket but also scored runs at a brisk pace. In the process, he brought up his maiden Test hundred and helped his side to seize a draw.
5/30 Against Pakistan in Sharjah
The right-arm pacer delivered a match-defining spell in the third Test of the 2016 Test series. In the third innings of the clash, Holder bowled with hostility and took the match away from the opponent. In the process, he also bagged a fantastic five-wicket haul and the hosts were bowled out for just 208 in their second innings. In the last innings, the Carribeans easily chased the target of 154 runs and registered an emphatic five-wicket victory.
Jason Holder's next assignment will get underway when West Indies will lock horns with Afghanistan in a three-match Test series. The skipper will aim to put up a good show against the Afghanis and open his side's account in the ICC World Test Championship points table. The upcoming series will also be important for Holder as he was recently sacked as the side's ODI captain and will eye to guide his team to victory and redeem himself.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2019 08:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).