A superb performance with bat and ball put India on the threshold of victory over England in the second Test at Lord's.
Murali Vijay hit 95, Ravi Jadeja a swashbuckling 68 off 57 balls and Bhuvneshwar Kumar 52 to help the tourists progress quickly from their overnight 169-4 to 342 all out.
Set 319 to win, England lost three wickets for two runs, including beleaguered captain Alastair Cook for 22, to end the day staring into the abyss on 105-4.
Defeat on Monday would put England 1-0 down in the series with three matches to play and extend their winless run to 10 Tests.
It was a riveting day of cricket in which England gave themselves openings, only for India to return their efforts with interest.
Ex-England batsman Geoffrey Boycott on Test Match Special |
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"Alastair Cook was doing OK, but he was doing alright in the first innings until he got out. He can't totally eradicate his faults. The selectors are all hoping he gets a fifty but it's not happening for him and it might be even worse for him tomorrow if England lose."
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After three wickets in the morning session had reduced India to 235-7, Jadeja tore into James Anderson and Stuart Broad in a counter-attacking eighth-wicket stand of 99 with Kumar in 16.3 overs either side of lunch.
Late in the day, after the inspired Jadeja had dismissed Sam Robson with his first delivery, Cook and Gary Ballance steered England to 70-1.
But their 58-run partnership was broken when Ballance nicked Mohammed Shami behind, and the out-of-form Ian Bell played inside a ball from Ishant Sharma that held its line down the slope and was bowled.
Amid almost unbearable tension, Cook lasted 93 balls of mostly dogged defence before he was tempted into playing at a ball from Sharma and edged to wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni.
It extended his run without a century to 27 innings and left England staring at defeat.
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special |
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"England keep having spells where they get on top and then let the opposition back into the game. If we're honest, England are losing the key moments. You don't generally win matches in Test cricket if you drop chances and bowl too short on pitches offering so much help."
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On a pitch taking spin, Moeen Ali survived a dropped catch and two huge lbw shouts to finish 15 not out, alongside Joe Root, who has 14.
After resuming on 169-4, India sprinted out of the blocks with 12 runs off the first over, but England pegged them back with two quick wickets.
Liam Plunkett, who revived England's challenge with two scalps in two balls on Saturday evening, had captain Dhoni poking at a full ball and Bell took a sharp catch above his shoulder at second slip.
Moments later, Stuart Binny was lured into an early slog at Moeen. Cook, sprinting back from mid-off, clung on to a fine running catch in front of the pavilion.
Vijay was out in the third over with the second new ball five runs short of his second century of the series when he nicked a ball from an otherwise out-of-sorts Anderson through to Matt Prior.
Jadeja, the villain of the English crowd because of his allegation that he was pushed and verbally abused by James Anderson at Trent Bridge, thrilled a large India-supporting contingent with a scintillating innings.
England v India 2014 Test series | |||
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First Test
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9-13 July
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Trent Bridge
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Drawn
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Second Test
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17-21 July
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Lord's
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Third Test
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27-31 July
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Rose Bowl
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Fourth Test
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7-11 August
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Old Trafford
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Fifth Test
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15-19 August
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The Oval
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Darting out of his crease, he turned a regulation Anderson delivery into a half-volley and clattered it through the covers before crashing Broad over his head for a one-bounce four. Five more fours followed as he brought up his fifty off 42 balls.
Kumar was given a reprieve on two when he was put down by Root, who was standing very close at fourth slip and could only parry the ball as it flashed above his head.
It was a costly error as Kumar continued a dazzling series with bat and ball by becoming only the third player to score a half-century and five wickets in successive Test matches after Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee.
Jadeja's scintillating innings finally ended when he top-edged a pull shot at Ben Stokes and Cook took another skier.
India's last two wickets followed quickly as Mohammed Shami feathered Moeen behind and Stokes had Kumar caught in the slips - but from an England perspective the damage had been done.
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