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Backing the team's decision to pick five bowlers on what appears a good batting track, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said the bowling department will certainly use the experience of playing in Australia on the placid wicket in the ongoing one-off Test against Bangladesh in Fatullah.
Electing to bat, the Virat Kohli-led side scored 239 for no loss on the opening day, as Shikhar Dhawan (150 not out) and Murali Vijay (89 not out) demolished the Bangladesh attack, which comprises four specialist spinners.
- Dhawan's 101-ball 100 fastest by an Indian vs Bangladesh
Ashwin said the Indian bowlers will do better than their Bangladeshi counterparts when their time comes.
"I think it's an individual perception; they probably saw the wicket in a way they wanted to see it and we are seeing it in a different way. We have got bowlers who can exploit with 140 kmph-plus, if there is a bit of reverse swing," Ashwin told the media, after the opening day's play in the Test.
"It's also about how the bowlers are bowling. Our bowlers have been pretty good and they have learned a lot over the last months in Australia. We are backing ourselves and we are looking to play the best possible bowlers we have. I think every side does that -- play the best possible bowlers they have," he added.
With weather already threatening to play spoilsport after four hours of play was lost and only 56 overs possible on Day 1, Ashwin said India will try its best to control the "controllable".
"As far as I see it, cricket is a game where even if you look to control the controllable it is very hard. You can't really control the weather, it's out of our reach and we have put our best foot forward," said 28-year-old spinner.
"We have played five bowlers and we will look at the best possible result. If the time is there and if we bowl really well and we get a little bit of help and a little bit of luck then we can force a result. We will look to control the controllable," he added.
Ashwin was all praise for the opening batsmen, who mixed the right dose of caution and aggression to manage a run-rate of 4.26 in the day.
"That's pretty much the way our openers bat. Shikhar plays his game usually and Vijay settles into his game. So it's pretty much what happened today. There was no conscious effort in terms of we have to do this. But there is a good sense of trying to express everyone inside the team and we are looking to play with a lot of freedom and hopefully that's what is expressed outside in the field.
"And there is no particular reason why we play a particular combination. It's just about trying to add consistency from where we left off in Sydney. So that’s how we are approaching it."