Kaarthick's dismissal turned the game: Dravid

Captain Rahul Dravid urged his top-order batsmen to realise the importance of preserving their wicket after India's narrow 5-run loss to Sri Lanka in the second one-day international in Rajkot on Sunday.

"The defeat is a lesson for us. We needed someone who could go on to make a big score, but that did not happen today and we lost," Dravid said.

"Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly batted well and it looked okay when they were there. But when that stand was broken we got into some trouble.

"Then Mahendra Dhoni and Dinesh Kaarthick took up the job but the dismissal of Kaarthick was the turning point."

Ganguly (62) and Tendulkar (54) featured in a 100-run stand for the third wicket before both were dismissed in quick succession.

Kaarthick made 31 before he was trapped leg before by Lasith Malinga while trying an almighty heave. He added 66 runs with Dhoni, who made 48 before being dismissed by Sanath Jayasuriya off the penultimate ball.

Dravid also defended leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who went wicket-less while conceding 59 runs, and out-of-form batsman Virender Sehwag who made 19 before being dismissed to a poor shot to put India in trouble.

"Anil bowled well in his first spell but gave away a few runs in the slog phase which can happen to any bowler," he said.

"Viru himself would have been unhappy at the way he lost his wicket after looking good," the Indian captain added.

Defending his decision to field first, the Indian captain said there was moisture underneath the surface of the track and he wanted his bowlers to exploit that.

"We bowled well and got them under pressure but Kumar Sangakkara batted till the end. But the score of 257 was a chaseable target," he said.

Dravid acknowledged that the Lankans were a better fielding side than the hosts.

"They fielded better than us but we were not bad. The two catches they took in the end (to send back Harbhajan Singh and Dhoni) were crucial ones and they also threw well from the deep," he said.

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene felt that the dismissal of Tendulkar was the turning point.

"Sachin's wicket was the turning point as he was batting very well. We wanted to drag the game in order to get his wicket and succeeded. But then Dhoni and Kaarthick fought well but we managed to take the game to that stage after dismissing Sachin," he said.

Jayawardene praised his bowlers  especially sling-arm pacer Lasith Malinga  for the way they came back to stop the Indians from winning in the end and also patted Kumar Sangakkara and Tillekaratne Dilshan for weathering early losses when his team was asked to bat in difficult conditions.

"There was moisture in the wicket in the first one and a half hours and I would have loved to have given my bowlers a chance in those conditions.

"We fought back well after the early wickets and Kumar and Dilshan who were unfortunate to get out, did a wonderful job", the Lanka skipper said.

"Later when we bowled Malinga was taken for a few runs in the beginning but I was very happy with the way he came back strongly in the end and bowled with the older ball.

"We knew that with the hard outfield he could have his reverse swing going and he managed to do exactly that. Other bowlers too bowled very well, including (Nuwan) Kulasekara," he said.

Asked about the choice of Jayasuriya to bowl the last over when India needed 11 to win with Dhoni at the crease, Jayawardene said he turned to the veteran whenever in trouble.

"He was also getting the ball to bite and turn and whenever we are in trouble I toss the ball to him and he delivers," he gushed in the left-handed all-rounder's praise.