England moved closer to a 4-0 series whitewash against India despite encountering some brave resistance from Rahul Dravid on day four at The Oval.
Dravid's unbeaten 146 accounted for almost half of his side's first-innings total as the tourists were bowled out for 300 during the afternoon session.
It was the first time they had reached that mark in the whole series, but the total was still not enough to avoid the follow-on as England made their opponents bat throughout the whole day.
India avoided another top-order collapse and finished the day 162 runs behind on 129-3, but they still face an uphill task on the final day if they are to avoid defeat in the fourth and final Test.
India had resumed the day on 103-5 and the overnight partnership of Dravid and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17) survived for 12 overs until the latter edged behind off the bowling of James Anderson.
Dravid continued undeterred and brought up his century, from 168 balls, with a dab to third man for two off Tim Bresnan.
The 38-year-old is fourth on the all-time list of Test centurions with 35 and becomes only the third India player to carry his bat in a Test innings.
Amit Mishra, who smashed the last ball before lunch for a six over long-on, made a breezy, defiant 43 in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 before he was dismissed by a superb one-handed Ian Bell catch as he attempted to pull a Bresnan delivery.
Usual opener Gautam Gambhir, not used at the top of the innings due to a concussion, then made a n almost strokeless 10 before looping an easy catch to Kevin Pietersen at gully off Stuart Broad.
RP Singh hit five boundaries in a rapid 25 to help take the tourists to the 300 mark for the first time in the series, but they would go no further.
Bresnan (3-54) had Singh caught at third slip and last man Sreesanth drove the same bowler straight to Eoin Morgan at cover two balls later.
Dravid was stranded four runs short of 150 and minutes later was back out in the middle again, retaining opening duties as England, with a first-innings lead of 291, enforced the follow-on.
His unbroken spell at the crease looked to have come to an end when he was given out caught by short-leg Alastair Cook off Swann, but a review showed the ball had clearly missed his bat.
But his valiant resistance finally finished when he was once again snared bat-pad by Cook off the same bowler, with the review this time going against him despite no evidence of any edge. With no conclusive evidence suggesting Dravid had actually nicked the ball, it was strange how third umpire Steve Davis decided to overrule the on-field umpire.
The Hot-Spot and snickometer clearly failed to spot any contact between the bat and ball but Dravid walked off the field in a gracious manner, very typical of him.
The wicket can be crucial in the context of the game, felt Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box.
Virender Sehwag made a patchy 33 before departing as he was beaten by the spin of Swann and bowled through the gate attempting an ambitious drive against the turn.
Sachin Tendulkar (35 not out) and VVS Laxman almost made it to the finish but the latter fell for 24 late in the day after a beauty from Anderson sent his off stump flying out of the ground.
And Tendulkar was given a life when slow-motion replays suggested he was stumped by Prior in the closing stages of the day but no England player appealed after the bails were removed with the batsman's back foot appearing to be in the air at the crucial moment.
But with no appeal, Tendulkar survives and will have a chance to make that elusive hundredth international hundred on the final day of the series.
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