Coach John Wright defended India's strategy to go into the first cricket Test against South Africa with three specialist spinners saying it was a formula which had worked well in the last Test against the Australians.

"Captain Sourav Ganguly felt that our strength are the spinners so we decided to go in with three spinners. The formula had worked well in the Mumbai Test against Australia," Wright told reporters after the first day's play which saw the visitors make 230 for four.

"We are not very unhappy as we got four wickets, but a couple of wickets in the last session would have been more satisfying," the coach said.

India's ploy to go into the match with three spinners did not really seem to work because though Anil Kumble snared four wickets, the other two slow bowlers -- Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik -- went wicketless despite bowling 42 overs between them.

Wright praised the South Africans for the way they batted on the opening day.

"I think the South Africans stood out. They showed a lot of determination and worked hard to find themselves in this position. The wicket was on the slower side and they did not take too many risks," he said. Wright said it was imperative for India to get some early breakthroughs on the second morning.

"We have to be patient since it is a slow wicket and the batsmen get enough time to adjust their strokes. We have to try and take wickets."

On why Zaheer Khan was preferred ahead of Irfan Pathan, he said "Zaheer can reverse swing the ball well. In the one-dayer against Pakistan in Kolkata, he was the better bowler, so we decided to pick him".

Asked whether the Indians were regretting losing the toss, Wright said "obviously winning the toss is important. It is a question of luck and you have to accept it.

To be honest we have not had much luck with the toss in recent times, but we are not worrying about these things."

On India's fielding, Wright said the chances were quite tough though they should have been taken.

Anil Kumble dropped Andrew Hall on 55 while Kaarthick was guilty of spilling a chance of Smith on 33.