COLOMBO: Head coach Mike Hesson admitted Pakistan's players were hurting in the dressing room after their crushing 61-run defeat to arch-rivals India in Colombo on Sunday.

India dominated the T20 World Cup Group A match which had been in doubt until a few days ago when the Pakistan government cleared the team to play.

India, the defending champions, posted a fighting 175-7 after they were sent in to bat on a tacky R. Premadasa stadium pitch before they routed Pakistan for 114.

"There's a pretty disappointed dressing room in there at the moment, because they know how much it means to Pakistan," said Hesson, who was in charge for his fourth defeat in a row to India following three at last year's Asia Cup.

"We know that it's a huge event, Pakistan against India. We obviously won five games on the bounce before today so we were confident, but today we got outplayed," said Hesson.