Australian captain Ricky Ponting has refused to blame the conditions for his side's first-up loss to the West Indies in the Champions Trophy, instead saying they were simply outplayed.
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The West Indies made an imposing 6-234 on a difficult Mumbai track, and despite a 101-run fifth-wicket stand between Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke, the Australians fell 10 runs short.
Paceman Jerome Taylor claimed a hat-trick at the death to secure the win, finishing with 4-49 from his 10 overs, but Ponting felt it was spinners Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels who were the difference.
Gayle claimed the wicket of Andrew Symonds on his way to figures of 1-39, and though Samuels did not claim a wicket, he conceded just 36 runs from his full allotment.
"We always knew it would be difficult to chase, we always knew the wicket would slow up and probably turn as the game went on," Ponting told the ABC.
"You look at their finger spinners, Gayle and Samuels did a very good job for them. They probably got the ball to spin a lot more than what we did earlier in the game."
"But we can't blame conditions. There was a game here to be won and we were not good enough. So I won't be blaming anybody but ourselves."
On Saturday, Australia will play England, who also suffered a first-up defeat, going down to India by four wickets, and Ponting realises the importance of the match for both teams.
"I think you've got to look at every game in this series as a knockout game anyway," he said.
"As we found out in the last couple of Champions Trophies, one little slip up and you're gone."
"So for us tonight, a disappointing result, but we've got to forget about it as soon as we can and talk about the areas we didn't play well tonight."
"Now, with a lot riding on the game as far as this tournament is concerned I'm sure it will be another good game of cricket, hopefully one that we come out on top."
The match will be the first time Australia has faced England since losing the Ashes at The Oval last year.
Meanwhile, Clarke is expected to come under scrutiny from match officials after getting involved in a heated mid-pitch exchange with Gayle.
"I think as we all saw it was fairly animated," Ponting said of the incident.
"They were brushing shoulders as they were walking down the wicket. I wouldn't have thought that was acceptable in this game."
