West Indies lead the three-match series 1-0 after Southampton win
Following an impressive four-wicket win last Sunday in the opener, West Indies now eye the glory, the one they have been waiting for over three decades. With the second Test of the three-match series all set to begin at the Old Trafford Ground in Manchester on Thursday, West Indies will look to retain the Wisden Trophy having been the defending champions with their 2-1 win at home last year. And while the visitors will be eyeing their first England series win away from home in 32 years, with the belief that it would be a start towards their journey of heading back to those glory days, captain Jason Holder too has his sight on joining an elite list of captains from his nation.
West Indies have never won a series in England since their 4-0 win in 1988 under the great Vivian Richards. If Holder's men can emulate the feat of that great Windies side, the nation will also have their first away series win against a major Test-playing country since their 1994/95 victorious campaign in Australia. Overall, it will be their third away series win in the last decade, having earlier won in Zimbabwe (2017 tour - 1 win, 1 draw) and in Bangladesh (2012 tour - 2 wins).
Victory in Manchester would also imply a back-to-back victory for West Indies in England. The last time they had achieved this feat was back in 1991 during the 2-2 drawn series where they had bagged victories at Headingley and the Oval. It will also be their first back-to-back win away from since their 2-0 win in Bangladesh in 2012 and against major Test-playing nations, they had achieved the feat in 1995 with wins against New Zealand and England.
For Holder, a win in Manchester would take his tally of wins to 12 as the captain of the West Indies side implying that he would become the third-most successful Test captain of the nation matching the feat of Richie Richardson with his 11th win. Clive Lloyd and Richards stand top of the table with 36 and 24 wins respectively.
Simultaneously, he would also equal Gary Sobers's feat of three wins in England as West Indies skipper. Only Llyod and Richards have more wins in England with 9 and 6 respectively.
Holder's men had earlier won in Southampton last week where the skipper had taken a seven-wicket haul which included a six-fer in the first innings as the hosts were folded for 204 runs. The victory also marked their first win as part of the ICC Test Championship. They had earlier played a series against India at home and were whitewashed.
