WI vs ENG, 1st Test: Key takeaways from Day 1
England have fought back against West Indies after being under the cosh on Day 1 of the first Test at the North Sound Stadium in Antigua. England were reeling at 48/4 but ended the day on 268/6. Jonny Bairstow has remained unbeaten on 109. His knock has helped England immensely. Chris Woakes (24*) has chipped in too. Here's more.
England lose top four batters early on
Kemar Roach set Alex Lees up with outswingers before an inswinging ball saw him get trapped LBW. Zak Crawley then played a poor shot, going hard on a drive and getting an inside edge. Roach then dismissed Joe Root in the ninth over as England lost their way. Daniel Lawrence then edged a fuller delivery to nick the ball towards the slip cordon.
Bairstow adds three vital partnerships
Bairstow and Ben Stokes added a crucial 67-run stand for the fifth wicket to help England recover after the early burst of dismissals. Stokes looked good for his 36-run knock. He hit four fours, facing 95 deliveries. Bairstow provided an able support from the other end. Bairstow also added a 99-run stand alongside Ben Foakes (42) and an unbeaten 54-run partnership alongside Chris Woakes.
A crucial knock from the bat of Bairstow
This was a substantial knock from the bat of Bairstow. The senior Englishman ended the day on an unbeaten 109. He consumed 216 balls, hitting 17 fours. He showed great composure and application early on before freeing his arms. This was a mature effort on a slow pitch. Bairstow registered his eighth Test century and has raced to 4,684 runs at 34.95.
Contrasting day for WI bowlers
West Indies were terrific early on in the day and showed character. They bowled in the right areas and got rewarded. England were 115/5 at one stage but from there on as the day progressed, WI bowlers lost discipline. Towards the end they were tired and allowed England to make a comeback. They failed to take a wicket with the second new ball.
