The Red Ball Reset was never going to produce immediate results. And as England squared off against West Indies in the first Test of what they hoped would be the start of a long upward curve, the assertion that things might get worse before they get better played out in a perfect microcosm across the 86 overs of this first day in Antigua.
Having stumbled to 48-4, England battled through to make it to stumps on a much healthier 268-6 thanks to a measured then malicious innings of 109 from Jonny Bairstow. He remains unbeaten, as does the optimism for better times that was being severely challenged at 10:30am local time.
