Dravid defends decision to bat first

"It was the right decision but the batsmen probably could have done better by getting runs on board," the Indian skipper said.

Rahul Dravid on Wednesday defended his decision to bat first, saying the batsmen's failure led to India's six-wicket loss against Pakistan in the first DLF Cup ODI.

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"It was the right decision but the batsmen probably could have done better," the Indian skipper said in the post-match press conference.

"It was a fresh wicket and by what we heard we needed to make first use of the pitch and get runs on the board."

India were all out for 197 before Pakistan romped home to victory with nine balls to spare.

Dravid said the team fell 30 runs short of setting a challenging total. "We fell short by 30 runs and lost wickets in the beginning and that was the reason for the loss," he said.

Dravid also said the four run outs wrecked India's innings. "Yes they (run outs) were disappointing and were critical ones," he said.

But Dravid lauded the bowlers' effort on a slow pitch. "All the bowlers bowled well. The pitch was slow and ball was not coming on to the bat.

"It is tough at the end of the season but we are happy to come here and play for a cause."