India bowled England out for a below-par 218 and cruised to 135-1 in their robust reply to seize early control of the fifth and final test on Thursday.
Kuldeep Yadav wrecked England's top order and fellow spinner Ravichandran Ashwin polished off the tail to bundle out England in just over two sessions.
India captain Rohit Sharma combined with Yashasvi Jaiswal (57) in an opening stand of 104 to consolidate their position at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Rohit was batting on 52 at stumps with Shubman Gill (26) also looking assured at the other end. Earlier, Ben Stokes' decision to bat first on a belter of a track was on the expected lines and England got off to a strong start with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett combining in an opening stand of 64.
"He has played really well in this series and he is a good player of spin," said Kuldeep, who claimed 5-72. "To get him out, you need to produce some magic on the field and that was a beautiful ball and I really loved it."
Relive all the action from day one of the fifth Test match below, and get the latest odds and tips here.