‘Smart move by Holder’: Tendulkar lauds West Indies captain’s decision to bowl spinner on ‘damp pitch’

England vs West Indies: Just as the session was coming to a close, Windies skipper Jason Holder decided to bring on off spinner Roston Chase. The move worked like magic as Chase caught Burns plumb in front to give his team the breakthrough. Chase made it an over to remember for the tourists as he sent back Zak Crawley for a duck on the first delivery after play resumed.

The start to the second Test match between England and West Indies was delayed due to rain at Manchester. When the match finally started, the opening session of play was curtailed to an hour. England openers Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns made steady progress as they kept the West Indian pacers at bay with some solid defensive batting.

Jason Holder and Roston Chase celebrate the wicket of Zak Crawley of England with teammates during Day One of the 2nd Test Match in the #RaiseTheBat Series between England and The West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford on July 16, 2020 in Manchester, England. (Getty Images for ECB)

Just as the session was coming to a close, Windies skipper Jason Holder decided to bring on off spinner Roston Chase. The move worked like magic as Chase caught Burns plumb in front to give his team the breakthrough. Chase made it an over to remember for the tourists as he sent back Zak Crawley for a duck on the first delivery after play resumed.

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England’s ship was rocked and it took captain Joe Root and Sibley to stitch together a partnership to get them back on track.

Former India legend Sachin Tendulkar, who has previously praised captain Holder, lauded the tall all-rounder once again for bringing on the spinner on a ‘damp track’.

“In the 1st session I noticed a few balls didn’t even carry to the keeper off fast bowlers indicating a lot of dampness in the pitch. Smart move by @Jaseholder98 to bring on a spinner on such a track where the oddball may grip and the other may go straight. #ENGvWI,” Tendulkar wrote on Twitter.

Tendulkar had praised Holder earlier during a conversation with former Windies legend Brian Lara. He said that Holder is one of the most underrated all-rounders in international cricket.

“Jason Holder is the most underrated all-rounder, because on the field, maybe you will look at Kemar Roach or Shannon Gabriel, but Jason Holder only when you look at the scoreboard, you realise that he has come in and taken three wickets,” Tendulkar had told Brian Lara during the chat on Master Blaster’s app ‘100 MB’.

Holder vindicated Tendulkar’s belief by picking up 6 wickets in the first innings of the first Test, which laid the foundation of West Indies’ victory in Southampton.