Brathwaite, Chanderpaul score fifties as rain cuts day one short...

FROM BACK PAGE him, and I am confident he will do superb things for West Indies.”

They became only the 10th Windies opening pair to feature in two century partnerships in Tests after they forged a new alliance on the Tour of Australia before Christmas last year – and it is the third time they have shared 50-plus in five innings.

Though the durability of the West Indies opening pair in this innings will not be questioned, their slow accumulation of runs in an era when scoring rates in Tests have increased significantly meant the Zimbabweans felt little pressure.

Brathwaite needed 116 balls to reach his 50 when he drove pacer Victor Nyauchi through mid-off for three in the final over before the refreshments break in the second session of play.

Chanderpaul, son of former Guyana and Windies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, took 165 balls to arrive at the landmark with a confident pull through mid-wicket off left-arm pacer Richard Ngarava, for the seventh of his eight boundaries in the penultimate over before the rain stoppage.

There were few strokes of genuine attraction from the West Indies opening pair, but Chanderpaul smacked a nice back-foot cover drive off pacer Bradley Evans for four to break the shackles in the first over after the Caribbean side resumed from 54 without loss at lunch.

It was a strong response after he had come close to being dismissed off the previous delivery when he essayed an ill-advised hook at a short ball from Evans, and he was fortunate that leaping wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga was not able to get a mitt to the ball.