"This is the closest that I've felt a group be in a very, very long time" - Jason Holder on West Indies' newfound camaraderie
Star West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder has said the team that defeated England 3-2 in the five-match T20I series on Monday is the closest and most enthusiastic group he's seen "in a very, very long time." He revealed that the team meetings have been energetic and everyone is supporting each others' ideas.
After opting to bat first, the Windies put up 179-4 in the final T20I in Barbados, with skipper Kieron Pollard leading the charge with a 25-ball 41. England fought back with James Vince (55 off 35) and Sam Billings (41 off 28), but Holder's five-wicket haul (which included four wickets in four balls) and left-arm spinner Akeal Hossein's (4-30) caught them short by 17 runs.
Holder was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo after the match:
"For me, this is the closest that I've felt a group be in a very, very long time. Honest to God, the energy I felt from the meetings... most contributions I've ever seen in a West Indies dressing room. Even though you might not understand a certain decision, everybody's still buying in with it."
Despite the remarkable win against the T20 World Cup semi-finalists, Holder acknowledged that West Indies isn't a "finished product" yet and needs more consistency. He said:
"Tough luck to the guys who didn't really get the opportunity but they never showed it: I ain't seen a boy sulk. That says a lot about the camaraderie and the strength of the unit. I don't think it's a finished product and we've got to strive to be consistent."
This was West Indies' first series win since the T20 World Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage. Their last T20I series came against Pakistan, with Babar Azam and co. whitewashing them 3-0. They also played against Ireland in a three-match ODI rubber and were defeated by a 2-1 margin.
balls 
4️⃣ balls
4️⃣ wickets
Un4️⃣gettable
#MenInMaroon #WIVibes https://t.co/1n2sLnM7Iy
Holder was adjudged the Player of the Match in the final T20I following his 5-27 and was named the Player of the Series for his stellar 15 wickets from five games at an average of 9.60.
"Nothing is impossible" - Jason Holder looks forward to the India series
And we're off...🛫. Next Stop: India! 🇮🇳
We play 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is there. The Mission Continues...🔥
#INDvWI #MenInMaroon https://t.co/YPqCEHLffk
West Indies will now travel to India for three ODIs and as many T20Is. Rohit Sharma's men, regardless of their struggles of late, will present a steeper challenge in their home conditions than England.
Holder, however, sounded confident ahead of the series, saying "nothing is impossible" if West Indies can continue to get stronger as a team.
He said:
"We've got a couple of days before we start, start over, and then we go again in India. Nothing is impossible. We've got to believe that nothing is impossible and continue to be happy for one another's success and continue to build as a team."
Holder was satisfied with his performance as well, saying he was disappointed with himself after the Ireland series but the comeback was "very, very pleasing".
He said in this regard:
"It's something I pride myself on, particularly in this format. There were tough times in the series, which you would expect, and just the way I came through the tough periods was very, very pleasing. There's still areas to improve on, coming back and finishing off spells well. It's special for me, knowing how badly I felt after the Ireland series. Personally, I felt as though I let the team down with my personal performances. It wasn't for lack of effort, it was just one of those times where it didn't click and it didn't happen. But everything happens in its time and this series was my time."
The first West Indies-India ODI will be played on February 6 in Ahmedabad.