England captain Nasser Hussain has backed the claims of batsman Michael Vaughan that India acted against the spirit of the game in his unusual dismissal.

Hussain said he was disappointed that Vaughan became the seventh man in Test cricket history to be out handled the ball, after the India fielders appealed.

"It's a question of whether certain actions are in the spirit of the game, and that's purely a judgment call," Hussain told Wisden.com.

"If the Indians felt that the appeal was in the spirit of the game, then that's their call."

"I know what my gut feeling and Michael's gut feeling is about it all, and I really don't want to say any more than that."

Attempting a sweep on the opening day in Bangalore, Vaughan failed to connect with a Sarandeep Singh delivery and, when the ball trickled off his pads, he grabbed it with his right hand and ushered it away.

Virender Sehwag appealed at short leg and umpire AV Jayaprakash confirmed the Yorkshire batsman, who had made an attractive 64, was on his way.

Vaughan admitted he was out according to the rules of the game, but added: "There was no way [the ball] would have hit the stumps."

He went on: "I just thought it was the right thing to do, to flick the ball to the short leg and help him out so we could get on with the game.

"I was just disappointed that one of their players appealed, although I accept that the umpire had to give me out by the laws of the game."