'Chepauk not the easiest pitch to play on'

"We did not have much cricket but we learnt something about the opposition as well as what we need to do," said Dravid.

The rain-marred cricket Test match against Sri Lanka at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here provided the opportunity to learn about the opposition and the strategies required for success in the remainder of the series, Indian skipper Rahul Dravid said on Tuesday.

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"We did not have much cricket but we learnt something about the opposition as well as what we need to do," Dravid said, after the first of the three Tests ended in a draw.

"We did not bat as well as we could but it was not the easiest pitch to play on," he said, adding the team was looking forward to the next Test in Delhi to put things right.

"It was good to have some cricket after three days of rain. It took us some time to adjust after playing so much one-day cricket and we have learnt some lessons for the future matches," Dravid added.

Rival captain Marvan Atapattu said the impressive display by his side was "much needed" after the 1-6 demolition in the one-day series.

"We were keen to get something out of the match and our approach was very positive as it is the best way we know," Atapattu said, adding the performance had given Sri Lanka added confidence.

Lauding Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan for their probing spells, he said "it was expected of them as they are class bowlers. The important thing is to ensure consistency."

Man-of-the-match Vaas said he assessed the pitch in the first over of the match and bowled according to it.

"I corrected a few bad habits, including my run-up and am very happy with the result," the left-armer said.