The much-vaunted Indian top order struggled yet again against quality fast bowling as the visitors stared at a series defeat at the close on Day 4 in the second Test against South Africa in Pretoria, on Tuesday.
Chasing 287 for a win, which will be the highest-ever at this venue if successful, Murali Vijay (9), Lokesh Rahul (4) and captain Virat Kohli (5) were dismissed cheaply in the final session of day as India were reduced to 35 for three in 23 overs at stumps.
Debutant Lungi Ngidi grabbed the wickets of Kohli and Rahul while Kagiso Rabada dismissed Vijay to rock the Indian second innings and put South Africa in a commanding position.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Parthiv Patel were unbeaten on 11 and 5 respectively at the close of the day's play after an extended final session.
The visitors need another 252 more runs on the fifth and final day on Wednesday to win the Test with seven wickets in hand. It will be a tall task, if not an impossible one, for India as 249 is the highest total chased down successfully by any side at the Centurion, a feat achieved by England in 2000.
South Africa were 1-0 up in the three-match Test series after their 72-run victory in Cape Town.
A series defeat would also snap India's nine-series winning streak.
India got off to a poor start and Vijay was the first one to be dismissed as he dragged a delivery which kept low back on to his stumps.
The other opener Rahul also didn't last long as he virtually gave his wicket away as he hit straight to the fielder at point.
The big blow came when, in the 16th over, Ngidi trapped Kohli lbw as another ball kept low. The batsman reviewed but DRS showed three reds against him.
Surprisingly, Parthiv was sent out to bat ahead of Rohit Sharma and he endured a blow from Ngidi on his ribs but he battled to stay on till close of play.
This was after India made quick work of South Africa's lower order post-tea and bowled them out for 258 in the second innings.
India did not take the second new ball as Mohammed Shami (4/49) had Rabada (4), caught at second slip in the sixth over after the break. Eight balls later, Jasprit Bumrah (3/70) held a sharp return catch to dismiss Faf du Plessis for 48.
Ravichandran Ashwin had Ngidi (1) caught at long-on to wrap up the innings with South Africa taking an overall 286-run lead.
India had built some pressure in the post-lunch session with some disciplined bowling. Du Plessis and Vernon Philander (26) were content to bat slowly and didn't seem in any kind of rush to push things.
The duo added only 31 runs in 15 overs just over an hour's play since lunch. Overall, their partnership for the sixth wicket yielded 46 runs off 156 balls.
In the second hour of the extended session, Ishant got the breakthrough. Philander pulled a short delivery, but only managed to lob it to Vijay. Two overs later, Keshav Maharaj (6) was also caught behind off Ishant as South Africa were reduced to 215 for seven.
Surprisingly, India did not take the second new ball after 80 overs. Even more surprisingly, Shami bowled only one over -- the last one -- through this session.
This was after Shami's three-wicket spell in the morning had reduced South Africa to 173 for five at lunch.
Resuming on their overnight score of 90 for two, AB de Villiers (80) and Dean Elgar (61) put on a 141-run third wicket stand that only saw the runs coming but also kept India at bay for most part of the morning session.
The turn-around came when Shami was introduced into the attack and he immediately started getting the ball to reverse. First, he induced an edge off de Villiers in 42nd over with the batsman surprised by extra bounce and was caught behind.
Four overs later, Elgar pulled a short ball off Shami straight to Rahul at deep square leg, who fumbled but managed to hold on.
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