India will look to pile up a huge first innings score to back their bowlers on a flat, lifeless track in the second and final Test against Bangladesh, vice-captain Rahul Dravid said at Chittagong on Friday.
Although Bangladesh struggled the whole day without much luck on a batsman-friendly track at the M A Aziz Stadium, Dravid said Indian bowlers would be better-placed provided the team managed to put up a big score.
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"It takes a lot to come back after you have been on the field for five sessions. It might start turning later on, there are some cracks and it might get interesting for Harbhajan and Anil," said the batsman who achieved a personal landmark in scoring his 18th ton.
Dravid's 145 not out made him the only batsman in the world to have scored a ton in all Test playing nations.
However, the modest cricketer that he is, Dravid said the achievement needed to be looked from a perspective since many of the past legends did not get to play against as many teams.
"You can only look at it from the time in the era in which people played, a lot of people didn't play Bangladesh or Zimbabwe and some great players didn't even tour South Africa. You can only look at it based on the number of tours people could make at that time."
Nevertheless, Dravid felt happy about his effort that put him in the "elite and respected company" of Steve Waugh, Gary Kirsten and Sachin Tendulkar. While the other three have scored against all opposition, Dravid is the first to do it in all 10 Test playing countries.
"Having said that, from my point of view, I had to score a hundred here to complete the set. It's good company to be in - elite and respected company. It's nice to have completed the set. To have got a hundred in every Test playing country is important.
"It's not what you play for but when these things do come along, you sit back and feel quite happy about it.
"I'm sure people would have done it before but a lot of great players in the past would not have played (in countries that did not have Test status before)," he said.
Dravid was full of praise for Gautam Gambhir (139) who registered his maiden Test hundred, saying the way he played helped him pace his innings the way he usually does.
"He is a positive player and played really well. Runs were coming at a fairly decent clip. So it gave me an opportunity to settle in and bat the way I generally I tend to bat. It's good to see him score his first hundred, I'm really happy for him and I hope it is the first of many."
Gambhir himself was relieved to have got his first ton, especially after falling short of the milestone by just four runs against South Africa in Kanpur recently.
"Honestly I am very, very happy. Obviously it is a dream to get a first hundred. I was still nervous because it was my first Test hundred. Thank God that I got my first hundred," the Delhi opener said.
