England vs West Indies 1st Test: 5 Talking Points as Blackwood steers visitors to historic 4-wicket win

International cricket made an entertaining return at Southampton as England and West Indies faced off in the first Test of the 3-match series. After Day 1 was marred by rain, the weather relented to allow a result in the last session of Day 5.

Riding on Jermaine Blackwood's confident 95, the Windies managed to hold on against a late English charge to claim a 4-wicket victory in their chase of 200. The win got West Indies off the mark on the ICC Test Championship points table, and they proved that their remarkable chase against the same opposition at Headingley a few years ago was not a one-off.

Ben Stokes' first assignment as England captain didn't go to plan, with more than one of his decisions coming under the scanner. His counterpart Jason Holder, on the other hand, rarely put a foot wrong in West Indies' gritty win.

In this article, we take a look at the 5 major talking points from the 1st Test between England and West Indies.

---

#5 Umpiring decisions cast a cloud over the return of cricket

Kettleborough and Illingworth didn't have the best of outings

Coming into the first Test, the ICC declared that it would be imprudent to fly in umpires and appointed two English umpires for the game. Teams were even granted 3 reviews instead of the usual 2, in an attempt to level the scales.

Unfortunately, this decision has backfired, with many questionable decisions made over the course of the Test match, especially against the West Indies.

Jason Holder had to call for as many as 3 reviews in the first innings, with 2 of the decisions overturned. In the tourists' first innings, John Campbell was given out on-field twice and reviews saved him on both occasions. Another poor decision in the Windies' chase led us to question whether the umpires were in fact impartial.

Needless to say, Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough weren't at the top of their game and the umpiring will be in focus for the rest of the series.

---

#4 Shannon Gabriel has his moment of redemption against England

Gabriel took 9 wickets in the Test to win the Man of the Match award

Against England at St. Lucia in 2019, Shannon Gabriel directed a homophobic insult at England captain Joe Root and found himself on the receiving end of demerit points and a ban. A year later against the same opposition, the burly pacer had his moment of redemption, albeit in the absence of Root.

After dismissing England's top three to pick up 4/62 in the first innings, Gabriel continued in the same vein in the second to tally a 5-wicket haul and register match figures of 9/137. The fast bowler's 5-for in the second innings was only his 5th in Test cricket but served as an indication that he has put the past behind him.

With the questions over his fitness now dispelled by a Man of the Match performance, Gabriel will look to lead his team to a memorable series win in England.

---

#3 Has Zak Crawley done enough to retain his place for the 2nd Test?

Crawley fought valiantly in England's second innings

Young Zak Crawley fought valiantly in England's second innings, with his fluent 76 ensuring that his team had enough runs on the board to mount a serious challenge on Day 5. The batsman played at #4 in this Test, the preferred batting position of England captain Joe Root, who missed this game to attend the birth of his child.

When Root returns for the second Test, one player among Joe Denly, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope has to be sacrificed, with the most likely victim being Denly after a string of average scores. With age not on his side, Denly could have played his last Test for England.

We could see Crawley pushed up to No. 3, or the skipper might take full responsibility and move one position higher. Irrespective of what transpires in the lead-up to the 2nd Test, the 22-year-old should have done enough to retain his place in the England XI.

---

#2 England's decision to leave out Stuart Broad backfires spectacularly

Broad watched on from the sidelines disconsolate

Stand-in captain Ben Stokes wasted no time in taking brave calls as England's second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket was benched, citing the extra pace that Mark Wood and Jofra Archer boast of. Broad stated in an interview that he is angry, frustrated, and gutted - very valid emotions considering his stature in Test cricket.

While Jofra Archer did bowl a fiery spell in the final innings of the Test, he was toothless in the first with his pace nowhere near where it was in the Ashes. Mark Wood was far too short and while he did bend his back to get something out of the pitch, he wasn't nearly as effective as he should have been.

Stuart Broad could have been the difference between the two sides in what was eventually a narrow win, and Ben Stokes and the England management really need to take a deep look at what they've just done.

---

#1 Jason Holder just edges the battle of the skippers

Jason Holder and Ben Stokes during the post-match press conference

West Indies and England captains Jason Holder and Ben Stokes came into this Test as the World No. 1 and No. 2 all-rounders respectively. Much was made of this battle before the start of the series and it largely lived up to its billing.

Holder took a 6-for in the first England innings, capturing the key wicket of Ben Stokes in both essays. The England skipper wasn't to be outdone, and had his West Indies counterpart caught at fine-leg in their first innings.

As Holder stayed to the end in the final session to take his team over the line, Stokes showed enough to prove why he is one of the best all-rounders in the world, with twin 40s and 6 wickets in the match. This mini-battle will certainly continue to be crucial to the outcome of the series, although Joe Root will take over from Stokes at the helm for the next Test match.