India collapsed spectacularly, losing four wickets with just eight runs on the board, at the start of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford.
Indian captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat on Thursday despite the overcast conditions, but the No.6 batsman soon found himself in the middle after the top order failed to deal with the swing and bounce of England new-ball duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the first six overs.
India's four wickets all fell with the score on eight, the tourists losing 4-0 in 13 balls, with three batsmen out for ducks.
First to go was Gautam Gambhir, recalled for the dropped Shikhar Dhawan in one of three changes to the Indian side that lost the third Test in Southampton by 266 runs.
The left-handed opener had made four when he was undone by a rising Broad delivery in the fourth over that he could only edge straight to Joe Root in the gully.
Anderson, on his Lancashire home ground, then took 2-0 in three balls as opener Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli fell for ducks after edging to England captain Alastair Cook at first slip.
Cheteshwar Pujara also exited for nought when, in the sixth over, he managed to get an outside edge off Broad and Chris Jordan, diving to his right, held a fine catch at third slip.
India were 5-63 at lunch, with Dhoni leading the resistance to be 25 not out with Ravindra Jadeja unbeaten on nought. Just before the break, the tourists lost Ajinkya Rahane for 24, caught by Ian Bell off the bowling of Chris Jordan.
After their initial onslaught, Broad has figures of 2-8 from six overs and Anderson 2-21 off nine.
The five-match series is level at 1-1.
India's lowest Test innings total is the 42 they made against England at Lord's in 1974, with the all-time lowest New Zealand's 26, also against England, at Auckland in 1954/55.
Although Thursday's collapse was severe in the extreme, it did not represent India's worst start to a Test innings with the bat.
That came in the second innings against England at Headingley in 1952 when India were reduced to 4-0 with legendary fast bowler Fred Trueman, making his Test debut on his Yorkshire home ground, taking three of those wickets.
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