Opener Alastair Cook and skipper Joe Root hammered scorching centuries to help England reach the score of 348-3 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies here at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground last evening.
Opting to bat first in England's inaugural day-night match, Cook (unbeaten at 153) produced a rich vein of form as he struck his 31st Test hundred, including 23 boundaries.
Cook, however, failed to find any support from his new opening partner Mark Stoneman - 12th since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012 - as he got dismissed for cheaply eight runs.
Subsequently, the past and present England skippers had come together to put the team in a strong position against the Caribbean side.
Root (136) smashed his 13th Test century, including 22 boundaries, besides stitching a mammoth 248-run stand for the third wicket with Cook.
For West Indies, Kemar Roach scalped two wickets while Miguel Cummins also chipped in with a wicket.
At the end of day's play, Cook was batting at the crease along with Dawid Malan (28).