(ICC) Jason Holder urged his bowlers to make Australia work for their runs ahead of the two-match ICC World Test Championship series.
West Indies might not have beaten Australia in Australia in a Test match since 1997, but Holder remained positive about the tourists’ chances with the strong, young pace attack being a key factor.
Stressing that the bowlers shouldn’t be carried away by the bounce on offer in Perth, where the first Test will be played, Holder also expressed the need to adapt quickly.
“People get carried away seeing carry and bounce, but you still have got to find a really good length suitable for the wicket,” Jason Holder said ahead of the series, which is a part of the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle.
“Understanding when to attack, when to defend, and just understanding the context of scenarios and the phase of the game.
“I think the most important thing for our bowlers is to make sure the Australian batters work really hard for their runs. We’ve just got to assess the conditions early and make the necessary adjustments.”
West Indies have a strong pace attack led by Kemar Roach and Holder himself with Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales and Raymon Reifer adding some real zest to it.
Holder said that Joseph would be an “enforcer” with the kind of pace he had.
“It’s amazing the time that has flown, so good to see him fit and healthy. He’s obviously developed a lot as he was very introverted, and didn’t say much in the dressing room.
“He’s a lot more comfortable around his peers, he’s one of the more seasoned campaigners when it comes to all-format cricket.”
Seales has had a great start to his Test career, taking 36 wickets in nine Tests, including a five-wicket haul against Pakistan in Kingston. He is, however, yet to play a Test outside the Caribbean Islands.
“I think Jayden has a lot of skill. He has swing and control. I think that’s his two greatest attributes,” Holder said. “Maybe there won’t be much swing in these conditions but he’s good enough to extract some seam movement.”
While West Indies haven’t had great success in Australia in recent times, Holder underlined the fact that this was a well-settled Test unit.
“If you look at the nucleus of the Test side, I think we’ve been together for the last five, six years,” Holder said.
“I think our long-format cricket has really developed, so it’s really good signs and a lot of our players are developing.”
“It’s a tour that people can make their names,” Holder said, citing the example of Kemar Roach, who made quite an impression in 2009 on his debut away tour.
“We’ve been through a lot as a side and it’s not going to be an easy tour.”
