Jason Holder was a man possessed in Florida as his all-round show was in full display as he helped West Indies eke out a 2-wicket win off the final ball of the game. Jason Holder also had a historical game as well as he surpassed Dwayne Bravo to become the all-time leading wicket-taker for West Indies in T20Is. While he had a mixed bag campaign till this game, he showed what he can do when he is at his best.
Jason Holder was determined to give West Indies a win they so desperately needed and even with bat in hand, he created a difference. The pressure was high and West Indies were wilting a little under pressure, but Holder took the match deep and held his nerve to hit the winning runs off Shaheen Afridi to spark celebrations in the West Indies camp. He will be hoping that he can do more of the same in the deciding match.
Jason Holder’s All-Round Display Gives A Much-Needed Win For West Indies
Jason Holder was up for the challenge in Florida after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first. His incisive bowling in the powerplay gave him two wickets as he got rid of both the openers in Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan. It was the ideal start for West Indies as 3 Pakistan wickets fell in the powerplay. When things started to go well for Pakistan, Holder hit back in the end overs as he came back to dismiss the form batter Hasan Nawaz and later picked up Mohammad Nawaz as well. His 4/19 went a long way in keeping Pakistan down to 133/9.
But his night was far from over. West Indies stuttered in the chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals and fell behind the asking rate. West Indies were 96/6 in 16.1 overs chasing 134 for the win when Jason Holder who had a great night with the ball came out to bat. Holder played the situation calmly and took the game deep. He may have scored only 16* off 10 balls but that was a valuable contribution as he hit a six and a boundary. Let’s not forge the boundary was the winning runs that he hit. He did not pull the trigger early and waited for the right opportunity to strike.
Holder will be hoping to continue the good work when the teams again meet in the decider on 4th August. He was the star and his all-round performance was the difference between the two sides in what was a close game between West Indies and Pakistan.
Jason Holder Performance Over the Years
Jason Holder has been in the international circuit for quite a while from 2014 onwards in T20Is. His numbers may not sound great, but he has the potential to do better and lately as well he has had a mixed bag with bat and ball till this game. With the bat, Holder has scored 656 runs in 73 matches at an average of 18.2 and strike rate of 138.1. With the ball, he has picked up 77 wickets in 73 matches at an economy of 8.77 and average of 29.5.
With the bat, he had an impactful 30* off 12 balls in the previous game against Pakistan while against Australia he scored 20 off 15 balls and 26 off 16 balls in the previous fixtures. Jason Holder’s bowling performance before this match was 1/35 against Pakistan, 2/36 against Australia and managed to be amongst the wickets in previous games as well. But his consistency is something he lacks and would want to get things right there.
Jason Holder will hope to continue his good work and be more consistent. He delivered a match-winning performance today and will next want to deliver something similar when both teams meet for the decider on 4th August.
What Lies Ahead
All eyes will be on Jason Holder & Co as West Indies takes on Pakistan in the deciding 3rd T20I at Florida on 4th August 2025. The series is at 1-1 and both teams would like not to give an inch at all to each other as they are desperate to win the series after coming off losses in the previous games.
So, will West Indies carry this newfound momentum and confidence and clinch the series or will Pakistan bounce back and clinch the series for themselves? It is a winner takes all contest and we shall see who comes out on top at the end of the game.
Also Read: WI vs PAK: Mohammad Nawaz Spins A Web Across West Indies Batters