Pragyan Ojha dealt two severe blows on England in the space of only 12 balls, by breaking the stubborn sixth wicket stand between rival captain Alastair Cook and wicketkeeper Matt Prior, to provide the spark for India's renewed quest of winning the Test.
Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin and Zaheer Khan polished off the tail in style to leave the hosts a small target to chase in the last two sessions and take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.
Ojha finished with 4 for 120 after a fine morning spell of 2 for 18 in 11 overs, which included the wickets of Cook (176) and Prior (91).
England trailed India by 330 runs after making 191 in their first innings in reply to India's mammoth for 521 for 8 declared and then avoided the innings defeat yesterday by reaching 340 for five.
The visitors lost their last five wickets for the addition of 66 runs in 26.3 overs and the final wicket - that of Tim Bresnan - fell seven minutes before the scheduled lunch forcing an early break.
After being frustrated by Cook and Prior since the afternoon session yesterday, Ojha dismissed the two in superb fashion by deceiving both with his turn off the bowlers' rough to prise open the doors of victory for India before lunch.
Yadav then packed off England vice captain Stuart Broad for 3 to leave the visitors tottering at 378 for 8 in their second innings, in effect 48 for 8 having conceded a 330-run first innings lead to the hosts.
Zaheer Khan ended the England innings by having Bresnan (20 in 75 minutes) caught at short extra cover by substitute fielder Ajinkya Rahane, fielding for the absent Gautam Gambhir who was yet to return from Delhi where he had gone yesterday.
