Defeat to Oz is not a step backward for WI: Jason Holder

West Indies skipper Jason Holder puts up brave face despite innings and 212-run loss at Hobart

Hobart: Skipper Jason Holder insisted his West Indies team's massive innings defeat to Australia in the first Test on Saturday was not a step backwards.


Australia players celebrate the wicket of West Indies captain Jason Holder in Hobart on Saturday. Pic:AP/PTI 

It was groundhog day again for the Caribbean tourists, who capitulated to an innings and 212-run loss well inside three days here.

The Australians routed the Caribbean tourists for 148 after dismissing them for 223 in the first innings and enforcing the follow-on.

James Pattinson led the Australian attack with five for 27 and Josh Hazlewood captured three for 33. Opener Kraigg Brathwaite was the last man out for 94.

Just above B'desh & Zim
The West Indies have won just four of their last 21 Tests and are ranked above only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

They last won a Test in Australia in 1997. But Holder, who has the unenviable task of facing the media to explain the latest West Indies loss, was putting on a brave face against the continuing Windies underachievement.

"I wouldn't say it's a step backwards, obviously in the past we've shown that we can compete," Holder told reporters. "We had a really good series against England where we competed really well and then the Australians came in after that and we fell back a little bit.

"But in a sense the spirit in the dressing room is still there, we had a few one-day series and then we had first-class cricket back home where players from here did well.

"So it's just a case where we need to put together a collective effort for longer periods in the game.

I just felt we have too many good spurts of cricket we're not continuing on through the duration of the game."

Holder refused to buy into the problems with cricket administration in the Caribbean.

"I'm sure many cricket pundits and people around the world have many opinions, but my job is just to focus on cricket," he said diplomatically.

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