Taskin Ahmed, who has played more Tests than Mahmud, and Nahid Rana, who bowls much faster, did not stick to this simple approach. They bowled too short, too far or too full, giving the batsmen so many free throws. Mahmud simply used the tools at his disposal – seam, swing, pace and the right lengths – and became the first foreign fast player in nearly 15 years to take three wickets in the first session of a Test match against India in India.

“It’s obviously great to take Test wickets,” Mahmud said. “I hit five against Pakistan, so it was about being consistent and doing my bit for the team. The plan for today was very simple. I tried to shape the ball with the seam up. I kept trying and (it paid off). After the morning session, which we dominated, the wicket stabilised. The ball came on the bat well. Still, I got some movement later. Maybe we can create more chances tomorrow.”

Every wicket Mahmud took on day one in Chennai was well considered. He built a case against every batsman, whether over short or long. Mahmud brought the ball into the net under slightly overcast skies, testing both of Rohit Sharma’s edges. A lopsided edge gave Rohit an early boundary before he survived an LBW call in the fourth over when the ball dipped in from a slightly shorter length. Then came a subtle outbound delivery that hit his outside edge and was well received by Najmul Hossain Shanto at second slip.

India No.3 Shubman Gill, who couldn’t get rid of Mahmud for seven balls, also survived an LBW cry. His departure may have been a lucky one as he was caught on the leg side, but it looked like Gill was itching to get going. A batsman strangling a leg-side ball is often the result of early dot-ball pressure.

Mahmud then got Virat Kohli caught behind him as he chased a ball from outside the off-stump. On the previous ball, Kohli had played a confident forward thrust, but Mahmud stuck to his guns. He wobbled the seam again and lured Kohli out for a drive.

Shanto gave Mahmud a first spell of seven overs, mainly because of the overcast conditions and because he was bowling so well at that point. However, as he had shown in Rawalpindi, Mahmud is not just about the new ball. Soon after the start of his second spell, he took a wicket by getting Rishabh Pant caught behind him. This time too, he tested Pant outside the off stump. When he was cut out for a boundary, Mahmud pulled the next ball across but moved the line a little closer to Pant, who shot it to the wicketkeeper.

Mahmud continued to create chances in his subsequent outings, hitting a ball to R Ashwin between slip and gully and dismissing Ravindra Jadeja LBW before the decision was overturned on review. He got another ball to hit Ashwin again but that appeal did not hold much water.

Bangladesh were certainly not in a dominant position at the end of the first day in Chennai, but Mahmud felt that with the second new ball available, the team was still capable of fighting its way back into the contest.

“If we get a breakthrough tomorrow morning, we’ll be back in the game,” he said. “We want to keep them under 400 runs. However, it’s a good wicket now. The conditions here are almost the same (as in Pakistan), but it’s the bowlers’ duty to bowl aggressively or shorten the boundaries, whichever is required.”

“We were in a dominant position in the morning but the wicket is very good now. We are all trying to minimise boundaries. The momentum has shifted today but we could bring it back tomorrow with better bowling.”

Mahmud also has some experience in white-ball cricket, where he usually bowls with both the new and old balls. However, he has slipped down the pecking order of late. Tanzim Hasan Sakib plays ahead of him, while Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman are their mainstays.

Mahmud’s move to cricket now means that Bangladesh’s pace attack is being strengthened. In India, they have Khaled Ahmed in their Test squad. Shoriful Islam, Tanzim and Mustafizur are the regulars in the T20Is, while Ebadot Hossain is almost back to full fitness and could be available for the home Test series against South Africa next month.

Despite their recent comeback, the pace attack is still a work in progress. It seemed as though Bangladesh’s bowlers took their foot off the gas during the day, letting Ashwin and Jadeja set up a counter-attacking position. However, looking at the way the pace attack has developed, it is safe to assume that they will have better plans on the second morning.