Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and the recalled Shai Hope out on 24 in the first innings while Brathwaite and Kieran Powell – a concussion substitute for Nkrumah Bonner – managed only 12 in the second innings.
Over their last 18 Test innings, West Indies have scraped only two half-century stands, with the highest being 66 in the second Test against Bangladesh last February.
Shai Hope was recalled to the opening position but failed in both innings of the first Test.
“That is one of the things we’ve been trying to work on very desperately because if you watch back a lot of times we win Test matches against the top teams, we have good opening stands,” Simmons pointed out.
“Against England the last time [in 2019], we had good opening stands between John Campbell and Kraigg. That has not been happening and we’re working very hard on that.
“It’s disappointing because when you look at the last seven Test hundreds scored by an opener, I think they’re all scored by Kraigg.”
Over their last 18 Test innings, West Indies have scraped only two half-century stands, with the highest being 66 in the second Test against Bangladesh last February.
Shai Hope was recalled to the opening position but failed in both innings of the first Test.
“That is one of the things we’ve been trying to work on very desperately because if you watch back a lot of times we win Test matches against the top teams, we have good opening stands,” Simmons pointed out.
“Against England the last time [in 2019], we had good opening stands between John Campbell and Kraigg. That has not been happening and we’re working very hard on that.
“It’s disappointing because when you look at the last seven Test hundreds scored by an opener, I think they’re all scored by Kraigg.”