Zimbabwe were put out for only 161 runs by India at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday in their first innings of the second Test.
In reply India had not lost a wicket by the tea break and have made 43 runs in reply, leaving a minor deficit of 119 for the lead.
It was a near collapse by the home team in what has become a long succession of low scores.
The main beneficiary was Irfan Pathan, whose seven wickets for only 59 runs proved to be comfortably his Test career best.
Zimbabwe had no answer to his persistent accuracy and swinging pace. Pathan has taken 16 Zimbabwe wickets in the two Tests so far.
The home side were put into bat by Sourav Ganguly after he won the toss, which proved to be the correct decision.
Zimbabwe lost their first four wickets for only 30 runs. Their biggest loss was that of Tatenda Taibu, who was out second ball for a duck, his first failure of the series.
But equally damaging to the home cause were the early departures of Brendan Taylor for four, Terry Duffin for 12 and Dion Ebrahim (to Zaheer Khan) for 14.
Only two reasonable partnerships saved Zimbabwe from utter collapse. Heath Streak and Hamilton Mazakadsa put on 44 for the fifth wicket and Andy Blignaut with Charles Coventry made 43 for the seventh.
Although Anil Kumble was below par, drawing a blank, Harbhajan Singh once again proved the most successful of the spinners with two wickets, those of Streak and Coventry, who was top scorer with 37.
At the lunch break Zimbabwe were 75-5 and there was a glimmer of hope with Coventry and Mazakadza still at the crease. But they could not hold the fort much longer.
Zimbabwe’s hopes of maintaining success against India in Harare — they have won two Tests and drawn two there — have already disappeared.
India opened with Ganguly and Virender Sehway and they leisurely made their untroubled way to 43-0 at the tea break.
Another one-sided Test match already appears to be on the cards. – Sapa-AFP