West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has overtaken Dwayne Bravo to become the leading wicket-taker for the team in T20 Internationals. He reached this milestone in the second T20I against Pakistan on Sunday, August 3, delivering a match-winning performance with the ball.
Holder claimed 4 wickets for 19 runs, his third-best figures in T20Is, helping restrict Pakistan to 133/9 in 20 overs. During the spell, he surpassed Bravo’s record of 78 T20I wickets. Holder now has 81 wickets from 74 matches, with an average of 28.25 and an economy rate of 8.71. His best bowling figures in the format remain 5/27.
In addition to his bowling heroics, Holder also made a valuable contribution with the bat, playing a key role in West Indies’ narrow win. Chasing a target of 134, West Indies found themselves in trouble at 96/6 when Jason Holder joined Keacy Carty at the crease.
With 38 runs needed from 23 balls, the pressure mounted, eventually narrowing to 36 required off the final three overs. Holder, along with Romario Shepherd (15 off 11), put together a vital 29-run partnership off just 16 balls, bringing the team closer to victory.
Holder Holds Nerve In Final Over To Seal Win And Level Series For West Indies
In a tense finish, Shepherd fell in the final over with West Indies needing seven runs. Jason Holder held his nerve, hitting the last ball to the fine leg boundary to seal a thrilling win. He remained unbeaten on 16 off 10 and was named Player of the Match, helping West Indies level the series 1-1 ahead of the decider on August 4 (IST).
Speaking after the match, on what was his focus, Holder said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo:
“Just getting over the line, to be honest. As I said before, it has been a tough couple of weeks for us. We just needed a win. We brought it down to the very end, unfortunately. But fortunately, we still got over the line.”
“I still think there is a lot of work to be done. We have not done justice to our potential over the last couple of weeks, maybe the last couple of years. We have had a fair bit of criticism, which at times is warranted, but we know that winning can be a lot better. We’ve just got to put it together more often than not,” he added.
“I think lack of consistency has definitely plagued us, but we have seen that over the years that we can do it. For me, it is just to have that burning desire to make a change, to make a difference. So I keep putting in my best effort when I get a chance with the West Indies,” he added.
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