Win the toss and bat first on a flat pitch was a no-brainer, and once Virat Kohli called that flip of the coin right, India dominated with Shikhar Dhawan caressing the Bangladesh bowlers to all parts of the ground with ridiculous ease on day one of this one-off Test match in Fatullah.
Dhawan is a completely different player in sub-continental conditions, and after getting the nod ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara – India went in with five bowlers, three pacers (Ishant Sharma, Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav) and two spinners (R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh) – the opener showed just why left-handers are always considered to be so elegant.
As Murali Vijay, dropping anchor quite gleefully, watched on from the other end, Dhawan drove, pulled, late-cut and lofted the Bangladesh bowlers with authority to take India to 107/0 in 23.3 overs before rain stopped play, about 25 minutes before Lunch.
A near four-hour delay followed, but what did not change was the run-getting of the India openers, who smoked the Bangladesh bowlers, with nobody, neither the lone fast bowler Mohammad Shahid, nor the four spinners having any answer, even after the resumption of play.
Dhawan remained unbeaten on 150 (158b, 21x4), with Vijay (89, 178b, 8x4, 1x6) giving him good company, as the Bangladesh bowlers struggled to get any sort of purchase off the flat pitch with India finishing day one of the Test match on 239/0 in 56 overs.
Bangladesh went in with four spinners, including Shakib Al Hasan, with only Shahid selected as the pace bowler.
Shahid started pretty well, getting the ball to move a little, but with only slow-medium Soumya Sarkar to back him up with the new ball at the other end, India were pretty comfortable.
Once Dhawan got settled at the crease, he came into his own, with even Shahid going for plenty of runs, after a parsimonious start. While Vijay was happy to defend and take the singles when on offer, Dhawan was in one-day mode, caressing 12 boundaries in his knock of 74.
There was not even a glimmer of a chance for the Bangladesh bowlers, even with four spinners in tow, until the 22nd over, when Dhawan saw a leading edge just evade the short midwicket fielder.
Taijul Islam, the only bowler who looked like he might get a wicket – apart from the bowling team's best friend the run out -- was the bowler in that case, and the left-armer was unlucky again an over later as yet another mistimed help to the onside looped to short midwicket, with Shuvagata Hom, who could not hang on despite getting his hands to it, unable to complete the catch.
A ball later the umpires asked for the covers to come on as rain started to fall – the lights were on from the start owing to heavy clouds – and Dhawan and Vijay strode back into the dressing room content with how the proceedings had gone in the first 23 and a bit overs of the Test match.
They were much more content at the end of day's play as well, as Dhawan, so good to the spinners, be that when jumping down the track or while rocking back and using the crease, got to his hundred in just 101 balls via a beautiful whip to square-leg, with the left-hander also adding a 150 to his kitty off the final ball of the day to twist the knife into Bangladesh further.
