England cricket: Joe Root hopes Saqib Mahmood can storm the West Indies as he replaces Mark Wood

England’s seemingly never-ending search for an attack capable of taking 20 wickets overseas on Tuesday saw them turn to Saqib Mahmood to plug the gap left by Mark Wood in Wednesday’s second Test.

While one door opened for a bowler unlucky not to play Test cricket before now, another closed on Ollie Robinson — considered too much of a risk after the back trouble that flared up at the start of the tour.

It was a day of contrasting fortunes for two bowlers who England hope will help solve the perennial problem of potency abroad that led to them leaving Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad at home.

England turned to Saqib Mahmood (pictured) to plug the gap left by Mark Wood in Wednesday’s second Test

Mahmood, 25, will be the only change to the team that could not break through a disciplined West Indies batting line-up on a horrible, slow, flat pitch that was not fit for Test purpose in Antigua.

He is unusual for an English bowler in that his strengths of skiddy pace and the ability to gain reverse swing are better suited overseas. He is the closest thing England have to a like-for-like replacement for Wood.

‘He’s very mature for a guy who hasn’t played a huge amount of international cricket,’ said England captain Joe Root. 

The 25-year-old will be the only change to the team that could not break West Indies in the first Test

‘He has an understanding of how he wants to operate, has a slightly different trajectory and will give us a point of difference.’

It had been anticipated that Robinson, who looked fully fit in the nets on Monday, would return here, probably in place of Craig Overton, but England clearly do not want to take the chance on him starting another match but not finishing it.

The medical staff had no issue with Robinson playing but Root and interim coach Paul Collingwood felt this game had come too soon after the back spasm that laid him low in Hobart during the Ashes returned in the warm-up match in Antigua. 

Especially as the last thing England need here is to lose another bowler mid-match and have to rely on Ben Stokes to bail them out with another excessive workload.

It is a blow for a player who looked every inch a Test performer last summer but then had his fitness for the elite level publicly questioned by bowling coach Jon Lewis in Australia. Clearly, Robinson has some way to go yet before he can regain trust.

England clearly do not want to take a chance on Ollie Robinson (centre) after his back spasm

England are no strangers to making big bowling calls on this ground but they can only hope this one goes better than the Ed Smith-driven decision three years ago to leave out Broad on a pitch that usually rewards bowlers of height and bounce and replace him with Sam Curran. West Indies won by 381 runs and Curran took one wicket in the match.

Whether Wednesday’s pitch provides any of that traditional pace and bounce remains to be seen because on Tuesday it looked devoid of grass and worryingly similar to the one in Antigua that led to a largely dull opening to this series.

And if it is dead as a dodo again, Root knows he must resist the temptation to allow his talisman Stokes to flog himself as he did to the tune of 41 overs in Antigua, when he was supposed to be protecting his damaged side. 

‘We’re going to have to be smart,’ said Root.

‘We were backed into a bit of a corner last week with how things unfolded but, with Ben, you tell him he can’t do something and he does everything he can to prove you wrong.

Captain Joe Root (pictured) knows his side will have to be smart going into the second Test

‘You’re trying to win the Test but protect every player and getting that right is very tricky. Ben’s a leader and he looked very threatening for large periods — he wants to affect the game. It will be a different challenge this week for the whole group.’

Yet, whatever the state of the pitch, Kensington Oval remains one of the great cricketing venues and Root is determined to relish the experience of leading his side here in front of huge English support and trying to build on the admittedly small signs of progress in the last-day stalemate in Antigua.

‘It’s a very special ground,’ said Root. ‘I have some good memories here as a player but also watching as well.

‘Seeing us win the Twenty20 World Cup here on TV under Colly (the 2010 win under captain Collingwood) you could see what an iconic ground it is.

‘It would be nice to be part of an English Test win in Barbados, something I’ve not achieved in two tours here. Especially to give our fans something to cheer.’

Root will relish the experience of leading his side out at the Kensington Oval (pictured)

Whether England have the strength to do that remains to be seen. Their new-ball partnership of Chris Woakes and Overton has to do much better than in Antigua while Mahmood, who is quick but not express pace, has big shoes to fill in replacing the rapid Wood.

Then there is the ability of Alex Lees to overcome a chastening debut, when Kemar Roach was allowed to look far too good in dismissing him for two single- figure scores.

‘The main challenge for any new player is not to make drastic changes,’ said Root.

‘You have to be strong on what you know has served you well for a long time.’

One of the biggest and best stages in world cricket is set then for the pivotal match of this series. It remains to be seen if England have what it takes to penetrate Fortress Kensington for the first time since 2004.