'Our batters need to spend sufficient time out in the middle' - Parthiv Patel analyzes India's dismal show in WTC Final

India were always chasing the game after conceding a mammoth lead in the first innings against Australia. The Rohit Sharma-led side were set a daunting target of 444 to chase in the fourth innings. At the end of Day 4, India had 7 wickets in hand with 280 runs more to get. India's hopes rested on Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. However, the experienced duo could not bail India out as they succumbed to a humiliating 209-run defeat.

Rohit Sharma (43), Virat Kohli (49), and Ajinkya Rahane (46) got starts but couldn't convert them into substantial scores. Experts and fans have been discussing and dissecting India's repeated failures in the knockout stages of ICC events. In the same light of events, former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel gave his assessment after India lost their second consecutive WTC Final. The 38-year-old took to Twitter and explained how Indian batters are not used to batting for long periods of time as home tests get over in less than three days.

"With the way this #WTCFinal has ended, I feel one problem we have to fix is our batters spending sufficient time out in the middle. At home, we are used to wrapping up Tests in less than 3 days on rank turners, and our batters don't end up scoring the big hundreds," Patel wrote on Twitter.

With the way this #WTCFinal has ended, I feel one problem we have to fix is our batters spending sufficient time out in the middle. At home, we are used to wrapping up Tests in less than 3 days on rank turners, and our batters don't end up scoring the big hundreds. We need our…

— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) June 12, 2023

"We need our batters to get used to spending long hours at the crease. And that's what was missing in this final. What do you reckon?" Patel added.

Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid also gave their reactions after India's loss in the WTC final. The former felt that the WTC Final should be decided after a three-match series between the finalists. He also felt that the final can be played elsewhere and not only in England and at some other time of the year. Coach Dravid, on the other hand, opined that the time India got for practice ahead of the final wasn't sufficient.

The Indian players will now have a one-month break as their next assignment will be a tour of the West Indies which begins on July 12. India will play two Tests, three ODIs, and five T20Is in the same multi-format series.