Beleaguered India are edging towards safety at 3-90 with a session to play in the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
Still recovering from the hosts’ Brendon McCullum-inspired 8-680 declared, India have looked shaky with the bat.
However, they should still force a draw at the Basin Reserve, consigning them to a 1-0 loss in the two-Test series.
India had virtually no chance of reaching the 435 runs needed when the declaration came from captain McCullum, who earlier in the day became the first New Zealander to score a Test triple century.
Openers Shikhar Dhawan (2) and Murali Vijay (7) departed inside the first eight balls after lunch, leaving the tourists teetering at 12-2.
Trent Boult trapped Dhawan leg before wicket when he shouldered arms, then Vijay was caught at third slip off Tim Southee as the Kiwi seamers unearthed considerable swing under cloudy skies.
India were 3-54 when Cheteshwar Pujara (17) snicked Southee to BJ Watling, giving the Black Caps wicketkeeper his 15th catch of the series – a world record for a two-Test affair.
At the crease were Virat Kohli (48) and Rohit Sharma (15).
Key batsman Kohli was fortunate to be there, having clearly edged to Watling off Boult when he was on 15. Australian umpire Steve Davis denied an incredulous appeal from the New Zealand field.
Kohli also offered a low caught-and-bowled chance which was spilled by Southee just before tea.
India will have a minimum of 36 overs to survive in the final session.
Their final-day struggle represents one of the great turnarounds in Test cricket after they dominated the first 2-1/2 days – opening up a 246-run lead.
An epic innings of 302 from McCullum and centuries to Watling (124) and debut allrounder James Neesham (137) ripped the game from their grasp.
A large crowd gave McCullum a standing ovation in the day’s 11th over when he raised his milestone via a four off Zaheer Khan.
With the same shot he moved past Martin Crowe’s record of 299 to achieve New Zealand’s highest Test score.
McCullum was dismissed two balls later by Khan (5-170) before Neesham in particular maintained an assault on the tired Indian attack, reaching the highest Test score by any No.8 on debut.
New Zealand recorded their highest team total, which was also the loftiest second-innings score in Test history.
