New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin hoped for India to stage a comeback in the second innings of the ongoing Test against South Africa, but also expressed concern over a negative result for the hosts by criticising their body language on the field.

Team India finished Day 3 with trouble mounting as the Proteas delivered a superb performance across departments to dominate the Test. The South African bowlers dismantled India’s batting attack and initiated a collapse as Marco Jansen’s six-wicket haul led to the visitors walking out to bat again for their second innings.

As the play resumed on Day 4, Ashwin expressed concerns, saying that the team’s body language on the field doesn’t indicate positive signs.

“I really hope we can bounce back while batting in the 2nd innings, but the indications on the field with respect to body language,” Ashwin wrote on X.

South Africa dominated Day 3 of the second Test at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, tightening their grip on the match and the series. After opting not to enforce the follow-on, the visitors reached 26/0 by stumps, extending their overall lead to 314 runs, with openers Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram remaining unbeaten.

Their commanding position was built on Marco Jansen’s outstanding all-round performance, headlined by a six-wicket haul that dismantled India for 201. India had slipped from a promising 95/1 to 121/7, undone largely by Jansen’s relentless short-ball attack, supported by spinners Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer.

A brief lower-order fightback came through a 72-run stand between Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, but Harmer’s dismissal of Sundar and the second new ball allowed Jansen to finish the innings clinically.

His efforts, along with his earlier 93 with the bat, marked one of the finest visiting all-round performances in India. With the visitors having a substantial lead, they are poised to push for quick runs on Day 4, aiming to bat India out of contention, secure the series, and collect crucial World Test Championship points.

–IANS

vi/ab