Brathwaite remains steadfast as England struggle for openings

West Indies 299 & 176-2 England 464

James Anderson (left) shows his frustration as Darren Bravo (centre) and Kraigg Brathwaite (right) defy the England attack (Getty Images)

Something must have been lost in translation amid the initial assessments of this series. When it was said that it would be a cakewalk for England what was meant, of course, was that it would be extremely tight throughout with West Indies fighting tooth and nail to stay in it.

The apparent difference in these verdicts is the nature of sport. West Indies have been stronger than expected but were never likely to be as weak as some observers assumed, including the new head honcho of English cricket. England were neither quite as good nor quite as superior as they thought.

The pitches so far have been too bland to help to create meaningful openings for persevering bowlers lacking a magic touch. In all, it is not especially healthy for Test cricket. Too many draws spoil the froth.

There is a counterbalance, which is that it permits delectable batting of the type provided by Joe Root for England yesterday. His innings of 182 not out was instrumental in creating a lead of 165 for England.

The second Test is not yet a draw but for England to force the victory that was anticipated months ago they will probably need renewed inspiration to be accompanied by their opponents’ unlikely loss of will.

Joe Root walks off after making 182 not out (Reuters)

By the end of the fourth day, West Indies had wiped off the deficit despite the runs drying up at some stages of the afternoon. Kraigg Brathwaite, their 22-year-old opening batsman and vice-captain had offered a sterling response to Root’s exquisite touch.

After an early loss he shared a second wicket partnership of 142 with Darren Bravo. Phlegmatically becalmed at certain stages they were rarely troubled and Bravo’s edge behind off Stuart Broad came from nowhere.

Brathwaite, who made his 10th Test fifty employed the cut with particular affect but it is his unwavering concentration, his willingness to defend which marks him out. He is the future of West Indies’ batting which in his steady hands it may yet be secure. Bravo, at 26, still has time to fulfil his abundant rich early promise.

The tourists have had more of the running in this match as they had in the first in Antigua but the taking of 20 wickets is becoming no easier. Whatever the outcome today, it is a feature of their game plan they may need to re-examine as early as the Third Test starting in Barbados next Friday. If pitches such as these – their refusal to wear is their most damning hindrance – negate the most skilful of bowlers it is still necessary to try something different.

It is being optimistically predicted that the Barbados pitch will be quicker. Time perhaps for the tourists to try one of their speedier merchants in Liam Plunkett or Mark Wood, or even the leg spinner, Adil Rashid.

Root was sublime, as deft as he was assured, full of delicate timing and firm conviction. His precision never deserted him throughout and he became the second youngest England batsman to score 2,000 Test runs.

More than half of them have come in 14 innings since the start of the last English season. All his four hundreds in that time have been unbeaten.

At 24 years and 121 days he is six days younger than David Gower when he achieved the feat. Only Alastair Cook was younger. Eight England batsmen have done it in fewer innings than Root’s 43 with Herbert Sutcliffe having taken only 32.

But Root bore ample comparison with his Yorkshire forebear as he surgically dismantled the West Indies attack in the morning, adding 64 to his overnight score from 64 balls.

He hit his third and fourth sixes off the leg spin of Devendra Bishoo, straight and slog swept, and added fours with expert placement on both sides of the wicket. It was to England’s advantage that Root ran out of partners at the other end, allowing them more than five sessions to try to prise victory from the probable draw.

It swiftly became evident that they would need all of these and probably more as West Indies mounted another determined resistance effort. Needing wickets with the new ball, England had the start they required. Jimmy Anderson produced a late away swinger at Devon Smith who could only watch in horror as he tried to withdraw his bat, only to see the ball strike the bottom edge and on to the stumps.

Smith had been the first Grenadian to play a Test in his home country but sadly with score of 15 and two it is not something he will look back on fondly. His place is likely to be in jeopardy for the final Test in Barbados.

There was the faintest suspicion that his dismissal might provoke panic in West Indies ranks. But Brathwaite and Bravo delivered a confident response. Whatever eventually happens here real steel is being forged in this West Indies. Some mediocrity, as Colin Graves, the incoming chairman of the ECB who used the description, might like to reflect.

There were periods when West Indies were forced merely to adopt a defensive strategy as England bowled tight lines supported by alert fielding. One sequence of 10 overs in mid-afternoon produced only 10 overs. But around that were clusters of boundaries. The rate again fell to under three an over.

England’s late order perished gallantly in the pursuit of quick runs. Jos Buttler charged down the track, missed a leg spinner and was stumped. Chris Jordan was narrowly run out after being sent back,

Stuart Broad was caught off glove and arm sweeping, reviewing the decision in vain, and Jimmy Anderson, perhaps thinking of bowling, was also run out, barely trotting an attempted second run.

England added 92 in 24.1 overs before lunch while losing their last four wickets. It left 173 overs in the match. West Indies had batted for almost 130 in the First Test to save the match and looked capable of doing something similar in this one.