Port of Spain: You needn't have bothered with the Queen's Park Oval's monochrome electronic scoreboard; Rahul Dravid's expression said it all.

Wearing the gaunt, pinched look characteristic of men who — as Wodehouse might have written - have drained the bitter cup, Dravid waited in the dressing room as the Sri Lankans finished with their celebrations.

Anil Kumble gave Dravid's shoulder a reassuring pat. Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag looked in shock, their eyes glazed, their mouths thin. "As you would imagine, it's a very quiet dressing room," India coach Greg Chappell would say later.

Needing a win to all but seal a spot in the Super Eights, India lost by 69 runs. India's chances now are so remote — dependent on Bermuda finding a way past Bangladesh — Dravid ruled them out. No rosy "We still aren't out of it," just acceptance that India, on current form, didn't deserve to progress to the next round.

It had started so differently. Things seemed to go India's way from the toss. "The bowlers did well up front," said Dravid. "The wicket definitely did a bit. We didn't have the luck with a few close decisions."

Sri Lanka fought back through Upul Tharanga, Chamara Silva, and Tillakaratne Dilshan to post 254 — the last 38 runs Russel Arnold and Chaminda Vaas scored were vital in swinging the mood and the momentum. But, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene reckoned his side was "maybe a few short."

Indeed, former West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft, who knows the Queen's Park Oval tracks well, said India would have to bat badly to lose it. This after all was a batting line-up that boasted luminaries with tens of thousands of one-day runs.

Gettable total

"It was a gettable total and we were playing the extra batsman," said Dravid. "We needed one big partnership up front and we didn't get it. We should have made a much better chase of it."

Robin Uthappa had his moments. Indeed one felt he may finally come good, but a reflex return catch ended his stay. It has been a tough tournament for this talented batsman, who made the squad on the back of an excellent Ranji season and a blistering half-century against the West Indies in Chennai. One hopes he — like many exciting talents before him — isn't lost to the system.

Ganguly's innings

Sourav Ganguly may refer with good reason to the runs he has made. He stuck it out against Bangladesh when others didn't. But, his innings have consisted of an inordinate number of dot balls, making things tough both for him and his side. On Friday, he managed seven before Muttiah Muralitharan caught him splendidly, running 20 yards from mid-off.

"Players in the side think I'm getting old," said Muralitharan, "I wanted to prove a point and show I'm the best fielder."

Sachin Tendulkar helped an excellent Dilhara Fernando delivery on to his stumps. It may have been the great man's last World Cup innings. Not the end he would have chosen.

Dravid and Sehwag shared the only meaningful partnership of the innings. Sehwag provided evidence of being back to his best. He drove gloriously through the off-side, and treated Muralitharan's first over with scant respect. But, Muralitharan had Sehwag guiding a doosra from around the wicket into first slip's hands. Yuvraj Singh's run out 14 runs later gave Sri Lanka the ascendancy. Dhoni's dismissal to an exceptional piece of bowling from Muralitharan sealed the contest.

"We wanted to put pressure on India," said Jayawardene. "Sachin (Tendulkar) got a good ball, Yuvraj was run out — there were a few incidents. Rahul (Dravid) held one end up, but we could take control." Dravid soldiered on; he had to call for a runner at one stage, but it isn't in him to give up the ghost. Muralitharan was magnificent — his mix of off-breaks and doosras from around the wicket was near unplayable, especially by batsmen who were disinclined to leave their crease.

India's likely exit will adversely affect the 2007 World Cup, hit hard by the happenings surrounding Bob Woolmer's death. It will have financial implications the World Cup can ill-afford.

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