Kolkata, December 8: India's famed batting line-up failed to deliver as the team was left staring at yet another huge defeat after being reduced to 145 for six at tea on the fourth day of the third cricket Test against England here today.
Given the situation, the visiting England team looks well on course to taking an unassailable 2-1 series lead.
The picture changed rapidly for India post lunch as from a promising 86 for no loss, they lost six wickets with yet another innings defeat looming large.
Virat Kohli, after being dropped at 4, was unbeaten on 19, while R Ashwin was batting on eight at the tea break as India were still 62 runs behind.
Earlier in the morning, India restricted England's first innings lead to 207, bowling the visitors out for 523 scalping four wickets in 4.3 overs with England managing to add just 14 runs to their overnight total.
India's promising start to their second innings, having conceded a 207-run lead, was undone when Sehwag (49) got out off the first ball after lunch.
Graeme Swann got one to rip back through Sehwag's gate taking the top of the off stump to break the opening partnership for 86.
What followed was another dismissal as Gautam Gambhir once again helped England in a run-out.
Cheteshwar Pujara (8) became the victim this time when the leading Indian run-getter of the series fell short of the crease going in for a non-existent run as Ian Bell hit the stumps directly from short leg.
Finn should be credited for creating pressure around Gambhir who conceded two maiden overs to the pacer.
In the third over, after playing out five dot balls Gambhir desperately attempted for a single with a soft push to leg-side to avoid a third straight maiden.
But it only brought end to Pujara, who has 402 runs in the series including one double and a century.
Gambhir, who had contributed to Sehwag's run-out in a similar fashion in the first innings, became India's villain again.
In the very first of the next over, the Indian opener, on 36, survived after umpire Rod Tucker gave him not out after his faint nick was brilliantly taken by Jonathan Trott in a low catch.
But Gambhir could not prolong his stint at the crease, edging one behind the stumps.
It was two wickets in as many overs as India were rattled at 107 for four with Sachin Tendulkar back in the dressing room after a promising paddle sweep off Swann.
The off-spinner took Tendulkar's outside edge to be caught at the slip by Jonathan Trott as India started to stare at yet another big defeat.
Kohli, on four, got a second life after being dropped by Bell at deepish short leg as India looked to avoid an innings defeat with more than four sessions to go.
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