Indian captain Rahul Dravid Thursday rebutted charges that the Indian team violated the spirit of the game when it appealed against Pakistani counterpart Inzamam-ul-Haq for obstructing the field in the first one-day international.
Inzamam became only the second Pakistani cricketer to be ruled out obstructing the field at Peshawar on Monday when he blocked a throw with the bat while trying to regain his crease.
Later in his newspaper column, the home captain criticised the Indian team for making the appeal, saying it was against the spirit of the game since he was only trying to protect himself against the quick throw.
Dravid said if the team's action had been unsportsmanlike, the match officials would have taken action.
"In my opinion, and in the opinion of umpires and match referee whom I have spoken to, the Indian team did not act in any unsportsmanlike manner or against the spirit of the game," Dravid said in a statement.
"If that had been the case, the umpires and match referees would have taken action."
The Indian captain, however, preferred the issue to not be blown out of proportion.
"We have the option of taking up the issue with the relevant authorities but keeping the relevance, importance and context of the series in mind we have decided to let the issue pass and set it to rest," he said.
"We would like not to be questioned further on this issue," he added.
