"I love my stats, look at them every night"- Kemar Roach after equalling Michael Holding's wickets tally vs Bangladesh
West Indies pacer Kemar Roach made history on Saturday as he picked up his 249th Test wicket against Bangladesh to equal Michael Holding's tally in the longest format of the game.
The 33-year-old cleaned up Ebadot Hossain to achieve the feat and looked ecstatic as it was also his tenth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Holding was one of the most terrifying bowlers of his generation and to equal his record tally is quite a huge achievement. Roach has played a crucial role in winning some famous Tests for the West Indies over the past few years and has grown into a reliable quick.
That's the wicket! 🙌
Kemar Roach levels Michael Holding with 249 test match wickets 👏
#WIvBAN https://t.co/cBjafB8zQR
Speaking to commentators after the end of the day's play, Kemar Roach revealed how he felt about being on the cusp of 250 Test wickets. He said:
"I am proud, man; [Particularly considering] how [my career] started obviously. I came into the team under very difficult conditions. Then obviously to build a career and get amongst the greats is always a good feeling. I love my stats. I look at my stats every night. Even if I am not playing. So it is good to be up there with all the fantastic names."
Kemar Roach appreciation tweet❤️❤️
Blood, sweat and tears: Kemar Roach on his comeback
Kemar Roach had burst onto the scene pretty early in his career. However, an ankle injury in 2014 affected his pace and there were doubts over whether he would have an impact for the Windies ever again.
However, he worked hard on his accuracy and is now reaping rewards for the same by being the spearhead of his country's pace attack. On this, Roach stated:
"I lost pace due to injury, so I had to improve on my skills. There was a lot of hard work; lot of consistent bowling to get where you want to be in your career. Blood, sweat and tears. It is good to go out there and see the results."
West Indies ended the day with 49/3 and now need just 35 runs to complete another fantastic win at home.