Jason Holder Excited for West Indies’ Test Series Against England

West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has expressed his excitement to return to Test cricket following his team’s historic win against Australia in January. The West Indies are set to play a two-match Test series against England, starting on Wednesday at Lord’s, aiming for their first Test win in England since 1988.

Holder, who missed the Australia tour, was inspired by his team’s performance, particularly Shamar Joseph’s seven-wicket haul that led to their first Test win in Australia since 1997. He said, “I was so happy for the boys when they did what they did in Australia. It gave me a renewed energy to come back to the group and be a part of something special again. I have missed Test cricket, and I am looking forward to it.”

Holder emphasized the importance of building on their success in Australia and expressed confidence in the team’s talent. “It’s important [to build on Australia]. I think the guys took a lot from that. We are coming out to win this series. We have some special talent in the dressing room. It’s just about playing solid cricket and having belief. We have been doing some really positive things for the last couple of months, and as a young side the main thing is to keep learning,” he said.

England has announced their playing XI for the first Test, with Jamie Smith set to make his debut. The England XI includes Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, and James Anderson.