WI vs IND | No quick fix possible, there's a lot be done, says Jason Holder
West Indies skipper Jason Holder has asserted that there will be no quick fixes and that it'll be a long process to address the issues that the Windies are facing. Holder also expressed his disappointment over the dismal showing of his batsmen, while also lauding the pacers for their efforts.
Prior to the commencement of the series, there was plenty of hope for this new-look West Indian side, especially after their heroics against England. It had been 17 years since the Men from the Caribbean beat India in a Test match, but there was extreme optimism that things might actually change this time around. But alas, they were convincingly outclassed by a superior Indian team in both matches, and now, are left with more questions than answers.
Their batsmen, in particular, let them down big time, as they averaged a shocking 14.95 in the entirety of the series - their worst ever in any Test series. Their underperformance with the bat can be highlighted from the fact that Shamarh Brooks' 50 in the second innings in Jamaica was their only fifty-plus score of the series. Skipper Jason Holder has now expressed his disappointment over the performance of his batters and added that it might need a systemic rehaul to get things back into the right place, admitting that there won't be any quick fixes.
"I thought our batters weren't able to answer the call. I don't think it's a quick fix. The situation we are in in the Caribbean...we are not really spoiled for choices in terms of batsmen coming through. We've got to put things in place and to make sure we keep developing players and make sure players are doing the right things to be successful," Holder said in the post-match press conference, reported Cricbuzz.
"I think still a lot of emphasis has to be put on the cricket we play on the franchise and first class cricket level and that's where we are going to build players. We need players with experience and scenario-based experience. And when they come to the Test cricket level, it becomes a little bit easier," he added.
With his team scheduled to play one more Test against Afghanistan later this year, the Windies skipper believes that it'll be an opportunity to put things into place, but admitted that there will be structural changes needed for players to develop and come through.
"There's a lot to be done. We have the opportunity to put things in place - one or two more camps, primarily for our batters, and fast bowlers too, and holistically, developing our cricketers.
"We have the franchise system here in the Caribbean but we need some structural things put in place in terms for players to develop," Holder said.
Despite losing the series 2-0, a shining light for the Windies was the performance of spearhead quick Kemar Roach, who tormented the Indian batsmen from the very first ball. Despite being unlucky on several occasions, the speedster put in lion-hearted efforts throughout the entirety of the series, and Holder lauded him for the same, stating that he gets inspired and motivated when he sees Roach putting in the hard yards.
"I just said to him in the dressing room that he is one of my motivating factors. To see the effort he gives, it pushes me. To see Shannon going off in this game and Miguel went off in the last game, it wasn't an ideal situation for us the fast bowlers, and we have been in the field every single day [of the series] except for this day.Â
"There has been heavy workload on the fast bowlers in this series. Every single time I called on Kemar and every single time I called on Shannon, they never said 'No'. For me, that is motivating enough," the Windies skipper said.
But the skipper believes that his side is going in the right direction, stating that patience is key. He highlighted consistency across all formats as one of the areas for his side to work on, if they are to establish themselves as a more potent opponent.
"We have got to stay patient. I think this team, as I said before, has shown enough in the last 2-3 years, that we are definitely headed in the right direction. We definitely need to be a lot more consistent in Test cricket, and all forms of cricket," he signed off.