Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led India's charging reply to England's 246, which had been driven by captain Ben Stokes' half-century on an all-attacking opening day of the first Test on Thursday.
The hosts were 119-1 at stumps in Hyderabad and trailing England by 127 runs, with skipper Rohit Sharma (24) the sole wicket.
Jaiswal, on 76 off 70 balls, and Shubman Gill, on 14, were batting at close of play.
Left-hander Jaiswal reached his fifty in 47 balls with a boundary off debutant Tom Hartley, whose bruising introduction to Test cricket saw him leak 63 runs from nine overs.
Rohit walked back dejected after mistiming a shot off left-arm spinner Jack Leach, Stokes completing the catch in the deep.
But Jaiswal stood firm with Gill for company to keep India odds-on for a first-innings lead.
Stokes top-scored with 70 after the visitors opted to bat first, sticking to their ultra-attacking "Bazball" strategy to counter India's renowned home-turf spin prowess.
England had lost regular wickets until Stokes took charge and lifted the total, smashing six fours and three sixes.
He also put together key lower-order stands with Hartley (23) and Mark Wood (11) before he was finally bowled by paceman Jasprit Bumrah after tea in the final wicket of the innings.
England had started the day briskly, with Ben Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20) putting on an opening stand of 55, with regular boundaries off Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
