Having dismissed the English visitors for 187 in their first innings on day one, West Indies fought back after the middle order collapse on the second day at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua. Starting the morning at 30 without loss, the hosts reached stumps at 272 for six, taking an 85-run lead with four wickets in hand. Skipper Jason Holder (19) was at the crease along with Darren Bravo (33).
Bravo's display of patience and discipline in getting to 33 not out after four hours at the crease typified the West Indies effort against a purposeful England bowling attack led by the aggressive but desperately unlucky Stuart Broad.
Broad, surprisingly dropped for the first Test in Barbados which the Caribbean side won by a record home margin of 381 runs, left his teammates wondering what could have been a week earlier as he led the England effort with figures of three for 42 off 28 overs.
Seaming the ball away sharply and getting an exaggerated bounce from a green, uneven surface, the pacer should have enjoyed more success as two clear catches were put down off his bowling while he repeatedly beat the batsmen's edges without getting the reward he deserved for his perseverance.
Moeen Ali, top scorer with 60 on day one, underlined his all-round value to the England cause with two wickets in the afternoon session when the tourists enjoyed a period of dominance and threatened to dismiss the West Indies before the end of the day.
Ali accounted for Kraigg Brathwaite caught at short-leg for the innings top score so far of 49 by substitute fielder Keaton Jennings to break a 63-run second-wicket partnership with Shai Hope.
He then added the important wicket of Shimron Hetmyer, the flamboyant left-hander attempting to repeat a heave for six earlier in the over but miscuing for James Anderson to take an excellent catch running in from the long-off boundary.
Exasperated by his lack of success in the morning, Broad was finally rewarded with the dismissals of Hope and Roston Chase in the same over when play resumed after lunch.
Hope looked threatening on 44 when he was caught behind while Chase was left helpless by a delivery which barely got off the ground before clattering into his stumps.
Bravo, the only West Indies batsman to fail in both innings of the first Test, held firm with wickets falling around him until Shane Dowrich joined him in putting on exactly 50 for the sixth wicket.
Dowrich became Broad's third wicket for a battling 31, the only success England enjoyed with the second new ball in the final session of play.
At the start of the day, Brathwaite and John Campbell extended their opening stand to 70 with Campbell getting to 47 before his luck ran out.