More like a one-dayer than a Test match, says captain

Root made a brilliant 136, with his predecessor Alastair Cook finishing unbeaten on 153, as England put the tourists to the sword by ending the opening day 348-3.

Much had been made of the pink ball and batting under lights, but after winning the toss the hosts showed how it was done and put themselves in a position to post a match-winning first-innings total.

“It has been a very good day, we spoke about making sure if we got in a position of strength we really drove it forward and were ruthless,” Root said.

“It is something we did in the previous two games but to do it today is brilliant.

“It will mean nothing if we don’t back it up tomorrow.

“It was very strange and after the start it felt like a one-dayer, I had to calm myself down and tell myself that I might need to be out there all day.

“The crowd and atmosphere around the ground was brilliant throughout the day and to have Alastair Cook 150 not out at the end of the day is great.”

On the pink ball, which some viewers said they found difficult to see on television, he added: “(The vision) stayed consistent throughout, obviously I wasn’t in first up, but I generally found the older it got the easier it was to see.

“I thought the guys at the back end there... in other Tests around the world that seemed to be the danger period and I thought we coped with that very well.

“It wasn’t the fact it did huge amounts, it wasn’t very consistent, you’d get balls that didn’t move very much at all and then you’d get one that had more shape.

“There was a bit there and if you bowled in good areas it kept you honest.”

West Indies bowling coach Roddy Estwick said: “We discussed that after 80 overs we would need to take the new ball as quickly as possible, but we didn’t take it so we had to send a quiet reminder to the captain. It was disappointing.”