Dinesh Karthik has criticised India and West Indies players for a painfully slow over rate in the third ODI in Mullanpur. The match on October 3 ran for nine hours.

Both teams were punished during the game. West Indies had to bring a fielder inside the circle for the last three overs. India faced a similar penalty for the last four overs of the chase.

“I don’t think it makes sense to have a one-day game for 9 hours,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz. He said a 50-over game should ideally take seven hours with a break.

Multiple breaks for the heat and a lack of urgency pushed the game long past its ideal window. Karthik said the pace of play must be looked at.

“We are trying to shrink everything and make it shorter,” he said. Long games hurt ODI cricket at a time when the format is already under pressure.

India were also two overs short in the second ODI against South Africa last year. Stand-in captain KL Rahul was fined then.

West Indies won the Mullanpur game by five wickets, chasing 352. India took the series 2-1.