Defeat stares the Indian colts in the face after they fell to the guiles of seamer Timothy Southee in the second Test against New Zealand Under-19 at Carisbrook ground in Dunedin on Monday.
At draw of stumps on the third and penultimate day, India were 222 for 9, chasing a victory target of 306. They trail by 83 runs with one second innings wicket in hand.
Southee claimed five wickets for 54 runs, his second five-wicket haul in the match, having claimed 6-36 in the first innings.
Earlier, resuming at 245 for 6, New Zealand ended their second innings on 334, overnight batsman Michael Tairoa (102) slamming a fine century and Cory Anderson (88 from 79 balls) playing a cameo to put the hosts on course for victory and level the three-match series.
India had won the first Test at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln.
The third Test is slated for February 2-5 at Bert Sutcliffe Oval.
Brief scores:
New Zealand (1st innings): 100 all out (A de Boorder 44, D Kulkarni 3-33, Abu Nacheem 2-26).
India (1st innings): 129 all out (Tanmay Sravistava 47, Timothy Southee 6-36; T Boult 4-42).
New Zealand (2nd innings): 334 all out (M Tairoa 102, C Anderson 88, Abu Nacheem 2-61, Ishant Sharma 2-103, D Kulkarni 2-42, S Sharma 2-41).
India (2nd innings): 222 for 9 (A Rane 55, Tanmay Sravistava 47, Ravinder Jadeja 34, D Kulkarni not out 19, Ishant Sharma not out 19; Timothy Southee 5-54, T Boult 2-52).