Skippers question Broad axing as Holder matches Ambrose

West Indies skipper Jason Holder has expressed his surprise about Stuart Broad's omission for the first Test as the allrounder secured the highest Test ranking of any Windies bowler this century.

The fallout from England's decision to leave Broad out of their side for the first Test in Southampton has continued this week, with Australian captain Tim Paine the latest to question the absence of David Warner's Ashes nemesis.

Writing in The Daily Mail, Holder said he was pleased both with Broad's axing from the England XI as well as the home side's decision to bat first in Southampton.

"Looking back at the game, it was my preference to bowl first so I didn't mind England deciding to bat," Holder wrote after his side's six-wicket win. "And then our bowlers simply bowled their hearts out on a pretty flat pitch.

"I was a little surprised England didn't pick Stuart Broad. His record, particularly in this country, is outstanding and I thought they would leave out either Jofra Archer or Mark Wood. But they put out a high-quality attack, that's for sure."

Broad, England's leading wicket-taker in two of their past three Test series, admitted he'd been left "frustrated, angry (and) gutted" by his axing and said he was determined to win his spot back, starting with the second Test in Manchester this week.

It was the first time the right-armer had missed a home Test since 2012 and comes less than a year after he took 23 wickets in the Ashes, including that of Warner seven times.

"It's not really my domain but I think when you've got someone like Stuart Broad who has performed all around the world in all types of conditions and he's just come off one of his better series, yeah, I would have been rapt if I was the West Indies and big Stu wasn't running in at me," Paine told SEN today.

Holder admitted he was troubled by an ankle problem during the first Test, although it didn't prevent him taking a match-defining 6-42 in the first innings and jumping to No.2 in the latest ICC Test rankings.

Holder moved ahead of New Zealand's Neil Wagner and sits behind only Australia's Pat Cummins on the Test bowling rankings, the first time a West Indian bowler has been in the top two since Curtly Ambrose in early 1999.

Having achieved one ambition of taking a Test five-wicket haul in England, Holder now has his sights set on another goal – a Test hundred on UK soil.

"Taking six wickets in the first innings fulfilled a personal ambition for me because I have always wanted to take a five-for in England and dreamt about getting on the Lord's honours board in this series," wrote Holder, who is also the world's top-ranked Test allrounder.

"That's not to be (on this tour) but my next big aim is to make a hundred in England.

"I slipped on my right ankle on the very first day of practice when we got to Old Trafford and it's still not how I want it to be but it was good enough to get me through five days and I'm sure it will be fine for the second Test."

The Windies are expected to take an unchanged team into the second Test at Old Trafford, starting on Thursday, with coach Phil Simmons confirming opener John Campbell had suffered no structural damage after he was struck on the toe by a Jofra Archer yorker on the final day in Southampton.

A spin-friendly surface could see off-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall earn a recall, but Holder said any decision on the make-up of his side won't be made until closer to day one.

"I'm sitting here now back in my hotel room at Old Trafford watching the rain out of my window so I don't know what sort of pitch we will have for the second Test on Thursday," he wrote.

"It's a short turnaround but the next couple of days will be about recovery and getting our bodies ready again. I'm hopeful Campbell will be fit but if he's not we will sit down and see where we go at the top of the order.

"We know Old Trafford can take spin so Rahkeem Cornwall might be worth a shout, but it will be difficult to change a winning combination."

The second Test begins on Thursday night (AEST) with fine weather scheduled in Manchester for most of the Test, although some showers are expected on Saturday.

Fans can watch a free live stream of the second and third Tests on cricket.com.au and the CA Live app