Barbadian all-rounder Jason Holder made history on day two of the first Test between the West Indies and South Africa at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Wednesday.
With the second innings wicket of Keegan Petersen with the final ball of the day, Holder took his 150th Test wicket, joining the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers as the only West Indians to take at least 150 wickets and score at least 2500 runs in Tests.
“I guess it hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he told reporters in a press conference after day two.
“Honestly, my inspiration is just the other guys on the field. I was obviously captain at quite a young age and had a good run of it, especially in the Test arena and I thoroughly enjoy this group specifically,” Holder, who captained the West Indies in 32 Tests from 2015-2019, added.
Debuting in 2014, the 31-year-old has amassed 2644 runs at an average of 28.73 with three hundreds and eleven fifties in his 61 Tests. His highest Test score, 202*, came against England in 2019 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
With the ball, Holder has taken 151 wickets at 28.98 including eight five-wicket hauls.
One might ask the question: How did this take so long when he debuted all the way back in 2014?
“It’s a tough one man. I think the way world cricket is going now, apart from the big three, everybody else is barely playing any Test cricket,” said Holder.
“We’ve averaged, in the last three years, maybe six to eight Test matches a year. This year we’ve got six and next year will be around six as well so, it was a slow grind,” he added before comparing the Test appearances of current West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and former England skipper Joe Root to further emphasize the point.
Brathwaite, who debuted against Pakistan in May 2011, has played 84 Tests while Root, who made his debut against India in December of 2012, has played 129 Tests.