England vs West Indies: England shine on Day 1 as Joe Root makes a ton
England walked back to the dressing room as the happier side. After assessing the pitch condition, the decision to bat first has proven to be a good one for England and a little tiring for the West Indies.
Image credit: PA Images Joe Root's ton set England up nicely on day 1 of the TestAt the stumps of Day 1, England stood at 244 for and lost 3 wickets as captain Joe Root tailored the partnership of 251 balls with Alex Lees followed by a 271-ball partnership with Dan Lawrence.
Skipper Joe Root anchored his innings well for Team England, undoubtedly making them the happier side at the end of day 1. A wicket at the stroke of stumps brought some sigh of relief to the West Indies bowlers.
England's Young Guns
After Jayden Seales dismissed English opener Zak Crawley for a 7-ball duck, Alex Lees tried to settle well on crease with Joe Root till Veerasammy Permaul got his first success of the series when he got Alex Lees trapped-in for a leg-before.
The arrival of Dan Lawrence, however, completely turned things around for England. His optimistic stance on the crease brought him his highest Test score of 91-runs off just 150 balls, but fell short of 9 runs to get his first Test hundred as Jason Holder on the final ball of the day wheedled him on a fuller length delivery at off-stump. His 150-ball innings proved his worth and why he's been rated so high by the England management.
The ever-impressive Joe Root
West Indies missed two major chances to dismiss Joe Root, first for a caught behind at 23 (didn't review) and second dropped at 32 by Joshua Da Silva. Following which skipper Joe Root went on.
Marcus Trescothick (England's batting coach) said, "Great day, really positive day for us. To be in this position, we are very happy where we are. We had a great platform to go from. It was a great partnership to put the West Indies bowlers under pressure. [On Root] To have the discipline and the approach, it's a real example for everyone else on the side. To get a hundred last week and repeat it again. [Conditions] We expected it to do a bit early, there was spongy bounce throughout the day."
West Indies bowlers were meticulous in their first session, but they failed to replicate a similar rhythm in the last two sessions. The Barbados track looks like a flat surface which will be t to test the skill of bowlers from both sides.
England for sure is in a strong position, but the West Indies haven't let them get away. With Jason Holder striking in the end, West Indies bowlers can hope to control the damage on Day 2. Joe Root will resume his play tomorrow from his 119 and a new batsman on-strike.