Holder

'We fell short quite a few runs' – Jason Holder rues West Indies' batting failure

WI v Ind, 1st Test, Day 4, reaction



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West Indies captain Jason Holder rued his team's failure with the bat as the hosts went down to India by 318 runs in the first of the two-match Test series on Sunday, 25 August.

West Indies scored 222 runs in response to India's 297 in the first innings, handing the visitors a 75-run lead. Then, chasing a daunting 419 in the fourth innings with a little over four sessions of play left in the game, the hosts found themselves at a hopeless 15/5 at Tea.

It took only 26.5 overs for the Indian bowlers to bundle out West Indies for 100, their lowest-ever total against India in Tests.

"We fell short quite a few runs and I think the wicket was very good for the batting," said Holder. "At the initial phase, when the ball is new, it is difficult as a batsman to sustain, but after that it becomes easy. We did not get enough runs in this game."

The West Indies captain was all praise for Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who returned a brilliant 5/7 in his eight-over spell. "Today Bumrah bowled some magic balls and he got few of our batsmen out with some very good balls. We have to find ways. He is a quality bowler, but definitely there is a solution out there.

"Ishant [Sharma] was very supportive as well as [Mohammed] Shami. It was just one of those spells, where the opposition gets on the top and stays on the top. We have seen that happening around the world."

In the morning, India's firm hold on the Test was consolidated by Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari, the duo putting on 135 for the fifth wicket. Vihari, who registered his career-best score of 93, credited centurion Rahane for the support.

“Rahane was helping me out with the way bowlers were bowling, because he batted for a long time in the first innings as well," Vihari said. "He was helping me out with what the wicket was playing like.

“I came here early with India A team, so I had that experience of these conditions and that came handy for me. I know how the wicket would play, and I was fortunate enough to get those runs for the team."

Hanuma Vihari continued his good run from the India A series and registered his second Test fifty on Sunday.
Hanuma Vihari continued his good run from the India A series and registered his second Test fifty on Sunday.

Vihari, 25, was also full of praise for Bumrah, who registered his fourth five-wicket haul in only his 11th Test. "Bumrah was not happy with his performance in the first innings himself, and he thought he did not bowl up to his standards," said Vihari.

"He was quite fired up in the second innings. He is a champion bowler. We did not play Tests in the last six months, so he was struggling in the first innings to get his rhythm back.”

The second Test will be played at Kingston, starting on 30 August. 

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