IND vs SA, 2nd Test: Captain's Call On Follow-On, Depends On Bowlers' Recovery, Says Ashwin

India gained a hefty 326-run lead but will they enforce the follow-on, that has to be decided by the skipper Virat Kohli

The Indian bowlers warped up the South African innings at 275 on the third day of the ongoing Pune Test. The hosts gained a hefty 326-run lead but will they enforce the follow-on, that has to be decided by the Indian skipper, stated Ravichandran Ashwin after the match. “I haven't thought about the follow-on. The captain will decide overnight what we should do. It also depends upon how the bowlers recover tomorrow,” Ashwin said. Ashwin said that this pitch was quite similar to the one that was on offer in Visakhapatnam for the first Test. "Generally the scorecard tells you the story and one of the biggest problems with this South African team is that they bat till no.11 so you have to bowl at them as you bowl at a top-order batsman. It was hard work but you expect to bowl out a team in 100-odd overs," he said. India would have got a much bigger lead on Day 3 had it not been for some late resistance from Vernon Philander (44*) and Keshav Maharaj (72). The pair added 109 runs for the ninth wicket and have possibly saved South Africa from suffering an innings defeat. Ashwin took four wickets, including those of Maharaj and South African skipper Faf du Plessis (64). The 33-year-old said that the pair batted pretty well and that he was too happy to be bowling again to be frustrated by the pair.