India bowled out England for 319 despite being one bowler down and then reached 44 for one at tea on day three of the third test between the sides in Rajkot on Saturday.
Yashasvi Jaiswal was batting on 19 at break with Shubman Gill on five at the other end with India leading by 170 runs.
Rohit Sharma (19) was the lone India batter dismissed in the session.
India posted 445 in their first innings but are left with 10 players for the last three days of the match after Ravichandran Ashwin withdrew on Friday night with a family emergency.
His bowling colleagues, however, ensured the off-spinner was not really missed.
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav tormented the England batters and Mohammed Siraj polished off the tail to fetch the hosts a handy lead of 126.
England were cruising at 224-2 when Joe Root (18) played a debatable reverse shot against Jasprit Bumrah that shifted momentum in the home side’s favour.
Root has not been in great form in this series and his lean run continued as he offered Jaiswal a tricky catch in second slip.
India soon tasted another success when Kuldeep trapped Jonny Bairstow lbw for a duck with a delivery that sharply spun.
Ben Duckett’s 88-run hundred on Friday had set the tone for England’s response and the opener got a reprieve just before bringing up his 150 when Rohit floored a tough catch in the slips.
It took an ordinary delivery from Kuldeep (2-77) to end Duckett’s scintillating 153, which contained two sixes and 23 fours, as the opener slapped a half-tracker to Gill at cover.
Kuldeep otherwise bowled a terrific spell that had not just the English batters but even India wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel guessing which way the ball would turn.
England were pushed into the back foot after the lunch break when they lost two wickets in two balls.
Skipper Ben Stokes (41) slog-swept Ravindra Jadeja to Bumrah at long on, while Ben Foakes (13) was snapped up at mid-on by Rohit after the batter checked his shot against Siraj.
Siraj (4-84) went on to york Rehan Ahmed and James Anderson as England lose the last five wickets for 20 runs.
The five-test series remains poised at 1-1.
