There was uneven bounce. The ball kept low, there was reverse swing too. The MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch offered enough assistance for pacers and spinners as well.
The dry strip is only expected to disintegrate further to make batting difficult on the remaining two days of the first Test.
The Indian team's intent was clear when Virat Kohli said he would "definitely not want to bat again" on this track.
The hosts would look to maximise their advantage - the lead already stands at 135 - on Monday and look dismiss Australia cheaply in the second innings to ensure they drive home the advantage.
"There were two balls, the first went under my bat and second went under my chest. I was surprised how quickly the wicket was coming off. If they had more slow bowlers you would have seen the difference," said Virat.
Wrong Choice
The No 5 batsman, who spent more than four hours in the middle on Sunday, was surprised at Australia's decision to play a lone specialist spinner. He felt the slower bowlers will hold the edge during the second innings.
"They are going to get a lot of turn and bounce with the hard ball. The wicket is getting roughed up by the day. It is about bowling in the right areas and getting purchase from the wicket," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"They are going to get a lot of turn and bounce with the hard ball. The wicket is getting roughed up by the day. It is about bowling in the right areas and getting purchase from the wicket," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Australia wicket-keeper Matthew Wade, however, said the ball will reverse swing.
"It is as hard as any form of bowling in any conditions. There is enough for it for reverse swing and spin. It is going to be very challenging to bat," he said.
More consistency
The Aussie bowlers were able to extract reverse swing more consistently than the Indian pace duo.
Having closely watched the pitch throughout the day, Wade said, "It would disintegrate more. It got worse a hundred per cent from yesterday to today and we expected it".
The Aussies will look draw some inspiration from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's marauding double-century to tackle their second innings challenge.