But it was by no means an easy day at the office in Antigua with Denesh Ramdin keeping the game alive by hitting 128 before finally being bowled out by Tim Bresnan on the final wicket for a Windies overall total of 278.
With 14 deliveries left it looked like it could be heartbreak for England once before but Bresnan, 3-45, kept his cool to clean bowl the wicketkeeper-batsman and end the match with a wonderfully skilful inswinging yorker.
Root had earlier taken the first wicket in Windies' chase, before leaving the field to nurse a thumb injury sustained with just a single to his name when he was hit by a delivery from Ravi Rampaul.
The young Yorkshireman stood firm, despite at times appearing in significant discomfort, to anchor England expertly at number four.
His 112-ball century was full of habitual deflections, especially fine on the off-side, and what he lacked in power he made up for by rarely missing a scoring opportunity.
Buttler was characterisically more explosive, hitting seven fours and four sixes from 84 balls.
When West Indies took over at the crease they had a big total to chase and it looked like ending in despair with Kieran Powell bowled off-stump on the last ball of the first over.
Dwayne Smiththen fell to the very next delivery, Stuart Broad's first, when he pulled straight to deep square-leg.
West Indies stayed on the attack but soon lost two more quick wickets, Darren Bravo very well caught at midwicket by Ravi Bopara off Moeen and Lendl Simmons edging a pull at Broad on to his stumps.
Ramdin was eventually left to do it on his own after Darren Sammy was caught at deep-square off Bresnan and he came dangerously close to doing it before Bresnan's intervention.
For Broad, the 2-1 verdict was an immediate success in his first ODI series as captain.
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