Strauss leads by example

Andrew Strauss' team will resume on 301 for three on the second day after they produced the perfect response to being shot out for 51 at Sabina Park. Strauss struck 169 on the opening day while Alastair Cook and Owais Shah also contributed half-centuries as the tourists put the disruption of the last couple of days, and more importantly the first Test thrashing, behind them.

"We've had a couple of hard weeks, there's no doubt about that," said Strauss. "Having been bowled out for 51 in the last Test match, the one thing we wanted to do was come out, play positively, and prove to everyone that as a batting unit we have some good players who can score big runs.

He added: "In that respect it is very satisfying and as captain it was important to score runs and lead from the front.

"I've felt in pretty good form all tour, so I knew if I backed my game plan the runs would come. Thankfully they have.

"There are two ways to react to what happened last week. One is to go into your shell and hope you might get runs, and the other is to take the bull by the horns and say, 'Actually I am going to get runs'.

"That was the find of mindset I was in. And as a team we were positive but in a controlled kind of way, which was the right way to be."

West Indies captain Chris Gayle made some unusual decisions through the opening 92 overs of the contest, having won the toss, rotating seven bowlers after struggling for an initial breakthrough. A wicketless morning session reduced to 18 overs by rain proved crucial in setting the tone.

"Possibly they felt the wicket was going to do a lot more than it did, so when they realised it wasn't going to do that much that knocked the stuffing out of them a little bit," Strauss added. "Thankfully we took control of the game in that first session."

"The key to everything for us now is to put West Indies under scoreboard pressure. If we can go big they are chasing the game from then on."