Jason Holder seems to have located the West Indies’ weak nerve perfectly. The all-rounder, who top scored in the first ODI against India which his team lost by six wickets, feels that their batters should put a bigger prize on the wickets.

The Caribbean side, thanks to some soft dismissals, were bowled out for 176 in 43.5 overs. This was the 10th time in the last 16 games that the West Indies failed to bat the quota of full 50 overs.

That is a big reason for their underachievement in the 50-over format though they look so much more stronger when the game is played over 20 overs per side. In the last 10 bilateral series that they have played, West Indies have won only three and, recently, have even lost to Ireland.

“We just got to put a bigger prize on our wicket, too many soft dismissals in the innings. The pitch was a little difficult to start off, but more or less we still got to dig a little bit deeper, put (up) a much better fight,” Holder said at the post-match news conference on Sunday.

“I don’t think we are too far off to be fair. Our top-order just needs to go a little deeper, put a heavier prize on their wicket, and just get themselves a really good chance,” added Holder, who made 57 and struck four sixes.

The current West Indies team have some fine mix of talent and experience in Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran and Holder himself.

Holder, a former captain, hopes that the team would bounce back strongly in the remaining two matches of the series. “We have got a couple of days off and will come back stronger,” he said.

(Written with agency inputs)