ANTIGUA, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA - MARCH 11: Jason Holder of the West Indies bowls watched by England captain Joe Root during day four of the first test match between West Indies and England at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on March 11, 2022 in Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Optus Stadium on Wednesday will play host to the touring West Indies for the First Test against Australia, who will be introduced to the traditional Perth surface that generally extracts bounce and pace.
The foreign nature of both the West Indies travelling to the shores of Australia and the pitch is a far-cry from the slower Caribbean surfaces they are used to performing on back home.
25 years marks the number between drinks for the West Indies, with a win a long time overdue veteran all-rounder Jason Holder has played the role of harnessing his fellow quicks energy to compete.
"People get carried away seeing carry and bounce, but you still have got to find a really good length suitable for the wicket," Holder said.
"Understanding when to attack, when to defend, and just understanding the context of scenarios and the phase of the game.
"I think the most important thing for our bowlers is to make sure the Australian batters work really hard for their runs. We've just got to assess the conditions early and make the necessary adjustments."
Youngster Alzarri Joseph is ready to be unleashed on the Australian top order with Holder speaking on his behalf, "he's got pace and he's very aggressive. A guy who will be an enforcer."
The 26-year old faces a new challenge heading down under for the first time along with counterpart and new ball bowler Jayden Seales who has burst onto the International cricket scene in recent years.
A steady form line was reached prior to the early T20 World Cup exit, downing England on home soil in the red ball format in March, which was believed to be the dawning of a new era for the West Indies side.
"I think Jayden has a lot of skill... he has swing and control. I think that's his two greatest attributes," Holder said. "Maybe there won't be much swing in these conditions but he's good enough to extract some seam movement."
"If you look at the nucleus of the Test side, I think we've been together for the last five, six years," Holder said. "I think that is really important in comparison to the other sides... probably a little bit more chopping and changing.
"I think our long-format cricket has really developed, so it's really good signs and a lot of our players are developing."
With a chance to break the hoodoo and enter back into the winners circle Holder understands the importance of standing up in the upcoming series defining tour from a personal perspective.
"It's a tour that people can make their names. Kemar Roach... has gone on to be one of our leading bowlers," Holder said. "We've been through a lot as a side and it's not going to be an easy tour."
