England 309 and 93 for 0 (Thomas 50*, Dawkins 42*) lead India 279 (Malhotra 123, Mhatre 80, Albert 6-53) by 123 runs
Ralphie Albert sparked not one collapse but two as he took 6 for 53 as England Under-19 edged ahead in the rain-affected 2nd Youth Test against India at Chelmsford.
The 17-year-old slow left-armer, reduced the visitors from 170 for 1 to 181 for 4 before helping to secure the last six wickets for 37 as India were bowled out for 279 to trail by 30.
This looked unlikely when Ayush Mhatre (80) and Vihaan Malhotra were compiling a dominant stand of 133 for the second wicket. Malhotra would go on to make 120 at nearly a run-a-ball, but aside from this pair, only Harvansh Pangalia (28) and Kanishk Chouhan (23) reached double figures, with five batters making ducks.
England openers Ben Dawkins and Adam Thomas survived the odd scare to stretch that lead to 123 before bad light ended play 12 overs before the scheduled close.
Rain delayed the start until 12.15pm before Malhotra and Mhatre dominated the pre-lunch session.
Mhatre, dropped at cover on the second afternoon was reprieved a second time when Alex Green failed to take a tough caught and bowled chance, but soon made the most of his good fortune, two sumptuous fours off the back foot and a huge six from the bowling of day two centurion Ekansh Singh among the pick of his shots.
Malhotra survived a big shout for lbw and being struck midships by James Minto. His cover drive off Green was a thing of beauty and he raised the 100 with six over square leg.
Another six took him to 50 as India scored 108 in the 75 minutes play. England looked to be searching for wickets and the result was too many four balls in a tardy effort.
Whether it was harsh words from the coaches or an inspired lunch choice, England emerged a different side. Tighter bowling brought a breakthrough when Mhatre missed one from Alex French which angled in and spreadeagled his stumps.
Door ajar, Albert produced some spin wizardry to strike twice in as many overs, wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu bunting back a caught and bowled before Rahul Kumar edged low to Thomas at slip.
India's response was to counter-attack, Pangalia dispatching a long-hop over the longest boundary before driving and cutting for successive fours.
At the other end Malhotra's 16th four took him to his hundred in 101 balls and at 242 for 4 the visitors were back in the ascendancy.
However, Pangalia top-edged a cross-bat slog into the deep and RS Ambrish became the third duck on the Indian card when he drove to cover in Albert's next over.
The Surrey youngster was on a roll, Malhotra becoming his biggest prize when perishing to a catch by Mayes on the midwicket fence and Albert wasn't finished there, Henil Patel his fourth wicket in 13 balls courtesy of Thomas' second smart slip catch of the afternoon.
Thereafter, only Chouhan held up the hosts for long, Albert's fellow spinner Ben Mayes (2-17) picking up the last two wickets -- a due reward for a tight spell.
Dawkins and Thomas were both on a pair and began nervously, the former given a life when dropped at first slip off Aditya Rawat on 7.
Rawat's searching examination survived, the pair prospered, Dawkins clearing the ropes at midwicket, while Thomas drove and cut well to reach 50 with seven fours in the last over before the light closed in.
