India's defeat by a Pakistan A side was a rude wake-up call before the first One-Day International in Karachi on Saturday, India's coach John Wright said.
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"We received a jolt. We've got to sort things out quickly."
India's famed batting lineup performed well on Thursday, piling up 335 for six from their 50 overs, but their weakened bowling attack was punished severely by openers Taufeeq Umar and Imran Nazir.
"Bowling is a different ball-game when you are being attacked," Wright said. "We bowled bad lengths and our lines were all over the place. We can't have people consistently going for 60s and 70s when they're put under pressure."
India are without their frontline bowlers, leg-spinner Anil Kumble and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, due to injury. Zaheer Khan is coming back from hamstring injury, which ruled him out after the third test in Australia at Melbourne late last year.
"Zaheer has done a good job for us in the past. It's never easy coming back from injury, let's give him another chance," Wright said.
Khan went for 78 from nine overs, pace partner Lakshmipathy Balaji for 60 from six and left-arm fast bowler Irfan Pathan was punished for 49 from his five.
Taufeeq, not picked for the first two matches of the series, gave the Pakistani selectors some food for thought with a blistering 89-ball 104 along with Nazir, who struck 65.
But Wright managed to look at the positive side of the defeat as well.
"This reminded me of the start of the 2003 World Cup when we managed to lose to a local Natal team in South Africa and then went on to reach the final," he said.
India's matches with Pakistan always generate intense tension in south Asia with volatile fans from both countries often taking to the streets if their team does badly.
"This is a tough series, there's lots of pressure. We just have to make sure we don't repeat such a performance."
India are in Pakistan for the first time for a full tour after a 14-year-hiatus.
Many people hope cricket can prove to be the catalyst for enduring peace between the two neighbours, whose animosity has been intense since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.