I remember well the first time I became completely convinced that this youthful West Indies side with Jason Holder at the helm would one day make Caribbean people proud.

It was the drawn second Test of India’s tour of the region, July 30 to August 3, 2016 at Sabina Park.

I had been optimistic before, but after that game I knew.

Some may recall that West Indies entered the fifth and final day of that rain-affected Test match two-and-a-half years ago, staring defeat squarely in the face at 48-4 in their second innings, needing another 256 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Journalists and devoted West Indies followers who turned up on the last day did so more out of duty and sentiment than any hopeful expectation, though, as we know, in cricket and indeed in life, a miracle is always somewhere around the corner.

As it turned out, that day became among the more uplifting in the recent history of West Indies cricket.

Roston Chase, then 24 years old in only his second Test, scored a brilliant unbeaten 137 while three other 24-year-olds, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich and Holder, scored half-centuries. When India finally agreed to call off the game in late afternoon, West Indies had reached 388-6 with Chase and Holder standing firm.

Prior to that, India replying to West Indies first innings 196 made 500-9 declared, an innings stretched over 171 overs. Lokesh Rahul stroked an elegant 158 and Ajinkya Rahane was 108 not out when Virat Kohli finally declared.

Strange as it may seem, West Indies bowled really well, which is why India had to bat for so long to get to their imposing score. Chase,with his underrated off spin took five for 121 as Indian batsmen repeatedly found that he was far better than just a part timer.

But most of all I was impressed with the efforts of speedster Shannon Gabriel and medium pacer Holder, who got just two wickets between them. Gabriel bowled accurately and with great hostility from the beginning to end of his 28 overs. Holder bowled 34 overs and two balls, consistently on or around the off stump line at three quarter length, finding movement both ways.

Yet for all of that, events on the first morning after Holder had won the toss in overcast conditions and had chosen to bat first on a pitch with plentiful preparation moisture stayed at the front of my mind. Because the pitch was dampish early on that first morning batting was very difficult, the ball slowing up unreasonably after hitting the surface, bouncing extravagantly, with generous seam movement.

In no time, West Indies were 7-3 with Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo and Rajendra Chandrika all defeated by the skill of India’s fast bowlers on the soft deck. That brought together Marlon Samuels and Blackwood in an entertaining, life-giving stand of 81.

Blackwood, true to his instincts, counter-attacked in thrilling fashion, and smashed 62 at a run-a-ball before falling just before lunch. Samuels chose the defensive route, relying on his technique to survive and in the expectation that by the post-lunch session the pitch would have dried out, making life easier for batsmen. To survive, Samuels played very late, waiting until the ball was right under his eyes, smelling the leather, before dropping it at his feet. Sometimes, he played so late that the bat ended up under his right armpit, with only his top hand on the grip.

For traditional cricket’s aficionados, Samuels’s knock that day was a defensive master class.

He was unbeaten on 18 at lunch. Sadly, with conditions having eased up after lunch as was expected, Samuels on the attack lost his wicket for just 37 when a big score was there for the taking. I’ve always felt that, while Blackwood’s blazing stroke play undoubtedly pushed back the Indians, it was Samuels’s technical efficiency in that difficult pre-lunch session which ensured West Indies survived until afternoon.

So then, energised by the against-the-odds drawn result, I went to the post-match press conference to hear from the West Indies captain. It was the first time I was seeing Holder, in his new leadership role, at close quarters, answering questions from journalists.

As expected, he spoke glowingly about the efforts of his young batsmen on the last day and of his bowlers. Chase, the man-of-the-match, took pride of place.

Then out of the blue, totally unprompted, Holder paid tribute to Samuels. While the experienced Samuels hadn’t made many runs, his batting in extremely difficult conditions on that first morning had gone a long way in helping West Indies save the Test match, Holder said. I marvelled.

Bear in mind that by the end of the game, most people had forgotten Samuels’s first innings contribution. Not Holder. He not only remembered, but also saw fit to proactively go on the record in paying public tribute.

That’s when I fully understood why the great Clive Lloyd, as chairman of selectors, had recommended that Holder become captain of the West Indies team at age 23.

Lloyd, in search of a captain, had looked beyond cricket to the man himself and found gold. He found a student of the game with the quiet, dignified strength, empathy and intellect of a natural leader. For as CLR James — borrowing from Rudyard Kipling – wrote: “What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?”

Much has been said and written about Lloyd’s contribution to West Indies cricket as player and captain. His insightful choice of Holder as West Indies captain is right up there.

So now, the West Indies team enters the third Test against England in St Lucia tomorrow without their inspirational captain because of an over-rate infraction in that glorious second-Test win.

The punishment may seem ludicrous, especially since the shortfall was only two overs and the game ended in less than three days. But West Indies must not allow themselves to be distracted. They should go into that final game with the same self-belief and fixity of purpose which helped them to overwhelm England in Barbados and Antigua and retake the Wisden Trophy after 10 years.

The West Indies team should also consider how much sweeter it will be if they beat England 3-0.