Anil Kumble said he was happy with the start to the series despite the fact that his team had to battle to a draw in Bangalore.

The Indian skipper, who could not take a wicket in his final Test on his homeground said he was pleased with the way the middle order chipped in and the way the bowlers bowled.

"Zaheer (Khan) was brilliant. Ishant has been getting better everyday and Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) bowled beautifully."

"The middle order showed what they are worth."

However, Kumble admitted that India could have had a chance on Sunday, when Australia lost a flurry of wickets. What he did not talk about was the fact that his injury forced the team to operate with a bowler short and it could have been a disaster had the batsmen not stuck it out.

"We could have had our chances yesterday but we cold not take them. In fact, the toss was vital too. Had we won the toss, things would have been different but there is no point in going into all that now.

Kumble, who has grown up playing cricket in Bangalore said the wicket has changed over the years. "The strip is definitely not the same it used to be. Hopefully, the spinners would have more of a role to play in the remaining Test matches."

The Indian captain also said he should be fit for the Mohali Test after missing out on a chunk of the fourth day action.

Meanwhile, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting credited the Indian batsmen for batting with determination.

"The Indians batted really well. We could not create the chances that we should have."

"We still have some room for improvement in our game."

Ponting admitted it was a tough job to play back to back Tests but said his team would use the two days to get back to the drawing board and chalk out some fresh strategy.

With the pitch coming under the scanner, Ponting said the Bangalore strip was actually a good one.

"The wicket was pretty good, I reckoned. The batsmen got runs and bowlers did well to pick wickets."

The teams will now head off to Mohali for the second Test from October 17.