I was a little surprised England didn't pick Stuart Broad for the first Test: Jason Holder

In the much-awaited series marking the return of international cricket, Jason Holder-led West Indies thumped England in the first Test to go up 1-0 in the three-match series. West Indies quick Shannon Gabriel was adjudged Man of the Match for scalping nine wickets in the Test as the visitors clinched the victory by four wickets.

One of the talking points about the Test was the omission of England pace veteran Stuart Broad. The Three Lions decided to go with the pace trio of Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and James Anderson at the Ageas Bowl, leaving Broad out of the equation. Many fans were left surprised when Broad was left out of the historic Test.

West Indies Test captain also Jason Holder conceded he was left surprised after he saw that Broad wasn’t a part of England’s squad for the first Test. After his omission, Broad had let out his frustration on national television. Moreover, the pacer had even sought assurances regarding his future with England from national selector Ed Smith.

“I was a little surprised England didn’t pick Stuart Broad. His record, particularly in this country, is outstanding and I thought they would leave out either Jofra Archer or Mark Wood,” Holder wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

“But they put out a high-quality attack, that’s for sure. It was the first time we have played a Test against Jofra and he was eager to get going against us and we were eager to get going against him,” he added.

Jason Holder heaps praise on ‘competitor’ Ben Stokes

The West Indies skipper delivered an impressive performance with the ball to steer his side to the victory. He scalped a five-wicket haul in the first innings and etched his name on the Lord’s honours boards. Talking about his next big aim, Holder said that he wants to smash a ton in England. The all-rounder also heaped praise on his adversary Ben Stokes.

“Taking six wickets in the first innings fulfilled a personal ambition for me because I have always wanted to take a five-for in England and dreamt about getting on the Lord’s honours board in this series,” Holder wrote.

“That’s not to be but my next big aim is to make a hundred in England. A bit has been made about me taking on Ben Stokes in the battle of the all-rounders but getting him out twice in Southampton was enough for me without worrying about making any points.

“Stokesey is a great competitor and an excellent cricketer so to get someone of his calibre twice was great for the team. It really isn’t about individuals. It’s about the collective and what we are trying to achieve on this tour,” he added.