‘Do it your way, Stokesy’

Stand-in England captain Ben Stokes says regular skipper Joe Root has given him a simple piece of advice ahead of Wednesday's first Test with West Indies -- do it your way.

With Root missing for the birth of his second child, Stokes will get to pit himself against West Indies counterpart Jason Holder.

"The best message I've received was when I got my photos done yesterday, with the blazer. Rooty just left a message on the hanger which said, 'Do it your way'," said Stokes.

But the all-rounder says he knows he will be able to turn to Root for advice at any stage during the match.

"I know he'll be at home watching and his phone will always be available if I need him," he added.

Stokes' first big decision as captain will be to name his team along with coach Chris Silverwood.

"It's not very often that we've been in a situation where we've got six or seven bowlers to choose from. It's a real head-scratcher as somebody who's got to choose the side but as a bigger picture it's a great place to be in as a team.

"I feel as if we're in a position now as a test team like we were with the one-day team in 2015 and building for that World Cup. I feel as if we're building towards the Ashes in Australia and also India," he added.