In October 2012, national selector John Inverarity called him Australia's second-best spin bowler, saying, "I think it's fair to say that we're of the view that the two best spinners we've got just at this moment are Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland.

In the 2015–16 Sheffield Shield season, Holland was used primarily in matches where Victoria needed two spin bowlers.

[8] He bowled alongside Nathan Lyon on spinning pitches in Sri Lanka, but he failed to have a strong impact.

[10] Holland wasn't included in the Test squad again until January 2018, when he was selected to join the team's upcoming tour of South Africa.

[11] Holland's performances at state level put him back up as Australia's second-choice spin bowler, and played alongside Lyon again against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in October 2018.