Heath Streak exults after dismissing Yuvraj Singh in Harare on Wednesday. (AFP)

Harare: Irfan Pathan continued to torment a hapless Zimbabwe with a fine exhibition of swing bowling as India put themselves on the threshold of a crushing victory in the second and final Test here on Wednesday.

The left-handed Pathan and Zaheer Khan made amends for India’s unimpressive batting show by scything through the hosts’ top-order to take their team within sniffing distance of their first overseas series win in 18 years.

After conceding a huge first innings lead of 205, the hosts were again tottering at 39 for four at stumps on the second day which saw the visitors take complete control of the game at the Harare Sports Club ground.

The home team was still tailing by 166 runs and with three full days left, it was just a matter of time before Sourav Ganguly and his men wrapped up the match for a 2-0 series triumph.

Resuming at the overnight score of 195 for one, the Indian batting did not really flourish as they lost the remaining nine wickets for the addition of just 171 runs, being dismissed for 366 about an hour before the scheduled close of play.

Heath Streak did the bulk of the damage as he returned with career-best figures of six for 73 but his efforts were quickly forgotten as the Zimbabwean toporder batting collapsed yet again.

Rahul Dravid (98) and Gautam Gambhir (97) were unlucky to miss their centuries but none of the other Indian batsmen could get going on a track, which provided some assistance to the seamers.

Streak tormented the Indians all day through with his nagging line and movement on a wicket which seemed to have deteriorated by more than a few degrees on the second day. Streak finished with his seventh five-wicket haul and the best in his 65th Test as he recorded figures of six for 72. He received good support from his fellow mediumpacers, particularly Blessing Mahwire (two for 86) who cleaned up Rahul Dravid with a peach of a delivery.

Dravid once again fell the same way when he tried to drive Mahwire hard down the ground and had his leg-stump pegged back.

Dravid in all batted for 321 minutes and faced 183 balls hitting 10 fours in his 98 runs. The left-handed Gambhir was another batsman who faced the dreadful fate as he chose to drive at a widish delivery from Mahwire and was consumed behind the stumps by Tatenda Taibu.

The visitors lost three wickets in the first session which also included the dismissal of Sourav (16) who flirted with an away-going delivery and was caught behind the stumps.

Yuvraj Singh (25) was beaten a number of times during his scratchy innings.

Pathan made 32 from 45 balls with five fours as India made sure they at least finished 205 runs in front.

Zimbabwe were not expected to do better than Indians on the treacherous surface and they were 21 for four within no time before Hamilton Masakadza (11) and Streak (6) stopped the slide.

Both Pathan and Zaheer picked up two wickets each but the talking point were the marvellous diving catches which Yuvraj and Anil Kumble picked up in the point and gully region.

Streak later said the frequent top-order collapses of his side were forcing him to almost play the role of an opening batsman. “Most of the time I am in when Irfan (Pathan) and Zaheer (Khan) still have the new ball in their hands,” Streak said before adding, probably in a lighter vein, “I am getting trained to be a good opening batsman.”

Agarkar returns

Meanwhile, mediumpacer Ajit Agarkar returned home on Wednesday to attend to his wife Fatima, who is expecting their first child. Agarkar, who was the 12th man in the ongoing Test, did his duty on the first day (Tuesday) but had to make hurried arrangements to return home.