Calcutta: India's top-order went for a toss after the coin didn't land in captain Virat Kohli's favour on Day I of the first Test against Sri Lanka at the Eden.

Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar did laud Suranga Lakmal's efforts, but also added that conditions were really tough for batting.

"The conditions were really tough for batting and what did not help us is that we got no extended passage of play. That didn't allow the batsmen to get into any sort of rhythm.

"It was similar to a Day/Night Test. At times when you play under such circumstances, it gets difficult playing with a red ball. It is more difficult to pick the red ball," Bangar said after the day's play.

About Lakmal, who took all three Indian wickets to fall on Day I, Bangar said: "He put the ball in the right place. He is an experienced bowler and the conditions suited him.

"Some of the balls that got our batsmen like (Lokesh) Rahul and Virat (Kohli) were absolutely brilliant... You can't fault the batsmen for shot selection, as those were really, really good balls.

"Credit to Lakmal, for he pitched the ball in the right places and let the wicket do the rest."

The batsmen will need to grind it out on this surface, Bangar stressed. "You'll have to grind it out quite a bit because there are going to be a lot of balls which will beat the outside and inside edge of the bat."

Despite being rattled in the 60 minutes of play, India have no complaints whatsoever about the greenish pitch on offer. "We are happy to play on wickets like the one here.

"This is a team which doesn't really want to play in easy conditions. We want to challenge ourselves and I think most of the players are open to such challenges. We want to improve and continue doing that as a team.

"The last Test we played here after the wicket was re-laid was against New Zealand, and it was a similar sort of a wicket.

"We played that Test really well, had applied ourselves and we are again ready for the challenge on this occasion. We do want to adapt to the conditions offered to us here," Bangar said.

He also backed India's decision to go in with five specialist batsmen.