‘If it was short, I’d throw the kitchen sink at it’ – Jonny Bairstow

As the top and middle order crumbled on a pitch with plenty of green and variable bounce, Bairstow, having walked in at No.3, hammered a 64-ball 52 – a knock comprising nine fours and a six – and helped England post 187 in the first innings of the second Test.

Whether that is a sufficient total on this pitch remains to be seen, with Windies ending the day at 30/0, but for Bairstow, it was a sign that he could excel higher up the order, having played lower down for most of his career.

He didn’t last long when he was promoted to No.4 during India’s visit last year, and that led to questions regarding his technique. Those problems have been addressed.

“For me, if it was outside off, I would leave it alone unless it was short, then I'd throw the kitchen sink at it, to be honest," Bairstow told Sky Sports. "And I'd wait for the one that was a bit too full, and try not to hit it too hard when I was driving, that was something I tried to concentrate on.

“Previously, I'd gone a bit hard at the ball, but I've worked on my defensive game a bit more. I think it's a case of understanding the situation you are coming in at. When I was coming in at No. 6 or 7, it was against a slightly older ball and guys who've bowled 10-12 overs.

“But at No.3, they've potentially got a new ball in hand, and are in their first spells. They are fresh, the pitch is fresh, so you've got to take account of that, what the ball's doing, and the overhead conditions.”

Bairstow also revealed just how treacherous the pitch was in Antigua, and how much the Windies pacemen made use of it. “It was tough,” Bairstow said. "I don't think you ever felt in.

"You always knew there was one that might bounce or keep low, especially when they've got three guys who are well over six foot. They made us make decisions on a pitch that was bowler-friendly, certainly in the first couple of sessions.

“If you look at the pitch, there's two different grass types. From where the balls were bouncing, there was either a ridge there or something to do with the grass, but unfortunately a few dismissals came from balls that made us play certain shots.”

The second day, with Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson bowling in tow in the first hour, would be crucial. “Tomorrow will be interesting," Bairstow said. "I thought we bowled really well tonight, and were unlucky not to get a few nicks.

“The boys put the ball in the right areas, and to only be 30 off 21 overs is a testament to that fact. The ball went past the bat many, many times and on another day you'd nick a few."