Marko Koning: Wooo like the Ashes 2013. England losing three quick wickets and Ian Bell rebuilding. Should be an England win!

jack william redfern: KP and Cook to open like they used to in the ODIs, would allow our middle order to stay the same.

The umpires eventually call a halt to that rather bizarre interlude, and play resumes, with Jason Holder continuing with the ball. Root allays any fears about his back with a lovely languid pull shot through mid-wicket for four. These two are looking entirely untroubled and putting England in a really good position.

Tattz in Oldbury: Root & Bell will be the highest scorers in the England side this year by some margin. Both play pace well, with shots played all around the wicket. If we are going to put up any fight against NZ & the Aussies, these two will need to bat so well. Well, we can hardly rely on our openers!

Jay: Was this some kind of a statistics-driven therapy that Root just underwent?

Joe Root has called for some treatment - it looks like he's got some sort of problem with his back. The England physio delivers a rather uncomfortable looking massage - kneeling down and applying his full weight to the prostrate Root with both hands, like a man trying to squash one last pair of swimming trunks into an over-stuffed suitcase.

Marlon Samuels is summoned to deliver a bit of part-time off-spin. England creep further into the ascendancy with three stolen singles.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"Root has passed 50 in seven of his last eight Tests."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

Image source, AP

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"That's the best shot of the day. On-drives always look pleasing, but he's in tremendous form."

Holder, whose dismissal of Gary Ballance suddenly seems an awful long time ago, continues. After 14 consecutive dot balls, he finally drags one down and Joe Root manages to evade Blackwood with a powerful cut through point. Root then goes to 50 with a gorgeous straight drive to the mid-on boundary. England making hay here.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"You have to make sure you don't offer too many freebies - the West Indies bowlers have been too short and wide at times. I'm surprised Benn hasn't come over the wicket to try something different."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

Antony Stewart: No surprise that the only two cricketers who have not had their confidence savaged by the media are the ones leading this recovery.

Peter: Not sure the four-day game is prioritised in this country. Only half the matches take place in Jun-Aug, the "summer months".

Our first look at the jet heels of Jermaine Blackwood, a man so fast he practically leaves contrails in the outfield. He keeps the England batsmen to two when Joe Root knocks the ball behind point. Three from Benn's latest over.

Holder, who impressed many with his performances as captain of the Windies ODI side at the recent World Cup, continues to offer West Indies if not threat, at least a measure of control. He whizzes a couple of deliveries past Ian Bell's leave to conclude another good maiden over.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

"Geoffrey's been in a bit of a grump today - he was sending half the backroom staff home after nine overs! England have come out with a different mindset after lunch, looking to score. These two are their best players at the moment. You've just got to be careful of hitting the ball too square as it's so slow."

Michael Blighe: Most teams suffer from mid-order collapse. England seem to suffer from top-order collapse. And it's getting embarrassing.

Richard Jebb: Is it not worth trying a bowler as captain given the struggles with form at the top of the order in recent years?

Benn continues - can he build a little bit of scoreboard pressure after that good last over from Holder? Nope - he drifts leg-sidish and Root nails a sweep to the leg-side fence. Hands on hips, teeth clenched, eyes skyward from Benn, who wouldn't exactly be the most inscrutable of opponents across the poker table.

Simon Langley-Evans: Has everyone who is slagging off the England team forgotten that they were put into bat this morning?

Robert Hart: I think Graves needs to look at increasing the number of days in a Test match with a top three of Trott, Cook and Ballance!

Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves recently suggested Tests could be shortened to four days to improve attendances.

Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special

"The West Indies media manager Philip Spooner thinks Ian Bell is the best leaver of a ball since Desmond Haynes."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

As we speculated, the young quick Jason Holder is introduced to stop the rot. And he does exactly what his captain would have wanted, producing six accurate deliveries to claim a maiden and briefly slow the Ian Bell onslaught.

Ian Roberts: Cook is too scared and tactically inept to play and captain Rashid. Negative batsman = negative captain. Rashid was the best spinner by far in 2014 on green seaming county pitches.

Jack Elliot: Why is Cook a guaranteed opener for England, when he hasn't scored a Test century in nearly two years?

Patch Thompson: Bell looking good. Baby faced assassin of the England squad.