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Captain Andrew Strauss reached 84 not out, from 150 balls with 13 fours, while Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 51 (135 balls, seven fours). Their partnership was their 11th century stand for England.
England began the day on 84-0, after rain delayed the start of play by 30 minutes, but after the excitement of day one, when England bowled India out for 224, Thursday's morning session was far cagier.
Neither Strauss nor Cook looked in peak form, but while India's bowlers did at least restrict the run rate to 3.34 an over they failed to put the batsmen under any serious pressure.
Praveen Kumar (0-29) has at times appeared to be taking on England almost singlehandedly in this series and he again provided the most meaningful resistance, bowling four consecutive maidens.
Yet while Kumar bridled with aggression, some of his team-mates shivered in the field, often keeping their hands in their pockets until the moment of delivery.
The mediocrity of the fielding was typified when Kumar found Cook's edge and the ball bounced short of Virender Sehwag, who let the ball go through his hands.
Ishant Sharma found some swing, but when he found Strauss's edge after an hour's play the ball flew through the vacant gully area for the first boundary of the morning.
In the 45th over Cook brought up his 50, from 130 balls, with a glance through square leg for four to leave England in complete control at lunch.
