'Got to take a gamble upfront' – Holder outlines Windies' plan of action

Chasing a mammoth target of 378 after centuries from Rohit Sharma (162) and Ambati Rayudu (100), the Windies were bowled out for 153 in just 36.2 overs.

Barring Holder, who remained unbeaten on 54, none of the other batsmen could put up a show of note, and some good fielding by India that resulted in two run outs early in the Windies innings derailed the run chase.

"We definitely weren't at our best today," Holder said. "Obviously, the way we started the series and the kind of cricket we have played so far in this series ... today does not really do justice to it.

"[We conceded] too many runs. It was a really good wicket. The outfield was lightning. It was a wicket where you want to get in because you can go big. Unfortunately, none of our batters actually got in and gave ourselves a chance to bat deep into the innings."

A target of 378 can be daunting even on the most helpful of surfaces. "That definitely plays on your mind," he said.

"It was a big total and you need to be up with the run rate. We never really got any momentum up front. We lost wickets and the two run outs didn't really help us, they set us back quite early [as we lost] two of our better players.

"Credit to India, I thought they bowled reasonably well upfront to cause trouble."

Once again, it was the Indian top few that got the runs and gave the team a good start. While Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put up 71 runs for the first wicket, Virat Kohli combined with Sharma to take India's score past 100, thereby laying a good platform for Rayudu to bat with freedom, which he did.

"[They are] good players. They play well. But we have shown that we can get them out," Holder pointed out.

"It is just a matter of being more consistent. You have got to take a gamble upfront to get their wickets. If you get their wickets, you're always in with a shout.

"[We need to] put a little more pressure on the middle to lower half that has probably not been tested as much as the top order has been in this series."

And while Holder may have been every bit right in his assessment of this Indian batting order, fact is that Sharma now has two centuries to Kohli's three, while Rayudu has one.

"It's tough. The conditions are such that they favour the batters. He [Sharma] is a really good player, one of those players [who if he] gets in, goes pretty big," Holder said.

"We just got to hang in there a little longer, probably challenge him a little more outside the off stump for longer periods to try and get his wicket. There's no point sitting back in the first 10 overs hoping to contain. You know how dangerous he can be when he gets in the flow. So you go to get him out."