India vs West Indies: Jason Holder feels Windies batters should put bigger prize on their wicket

Ahmedabad: West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder, who top scored in the first ODI against India here, feels that their batters should put a bigger prize on the wickets in the remaining two games.

Once again West Indies failed to bat all the 50 overs and were shot out for a meagre 176 in just 43.5 overs. Eventually, the visitors lost the game by six wickets to go 0-1 down in the three-match series.

“We just got to put a bigger prize on our wicket, too many soft dismissals in the innings today (on Sunday). The pitch was a little difficult to start off but more or less we still got to dig a little-bit deeper, put (up) a much better fight. We got a couple of days off and come back stronger,” Holder told a select group of reporters in his post-match comments on Sunday.

Sunday was the 10th time in the last 16 games that West Indies failed to bat full 50 overs despite the presence of senior players like Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Holder, Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran.

According to Holder, their top-order needs to go a little-deeper and put a heavier prize on their wicket.

“We got to dig deeper. I don’t think we are too far off to be fair. Our top-order just needs to go a little deeper, put a heavier prize on their wicket, and just get themselves a really good chance,” added Holder, who made 57 and struck four sixes.

He also praised Fabian Allen and termed him a capable batsman and rued the timing of his dismissal in the Sunday’s game.

“It was a clear cut situation where we needed to dig deep and spend time. Fabian is a very capable batsman (batter), he is one of those guys who can strike really well, when he gets in.

So, I just try and give him that confidence and we tried to build a good partnership, it is unfortunate when he got out, had he gone a little longer and we build a partnership little further, we could have been in a real good position to finish the innings off nicely, signed off the former captain.”