South Africa's Jbe Kruger shot a 66 to ensure he will take a narrow one-shot lead into the final round of Avantha Masters in New Delhi.
Kruger - who is looking to secure his first European Tour title - heads a trio of players in second at 10-under-par; long-time leader Peter Whiteford of Scotland, France's Jean-Baptiste Gonnet and experienced German Marcel Siem.
But a bunched leaderboard also sees six players within two shots of the lead at nine-under - including Ireland's Paul McGinley and Marc Warren of Scotland - and five more just a further stroke adrift.
Kruger's rise to the top of the field came on the back of a third round at the DLF Golf and Country Club that included two eagles, two birdies and not a single dropped shot.
His first eagle came courtesy of a 20-foot putt at the par-five sixth, with the second arriving when he holed a putt from off the green for a two at the driveable 15th.
Whiteford, who led after 18 and 36 holes, had to settle for a level-par 72 and was joined by Siem and Gonnet who shot 68 and 69 respectively.
Serene progress
While Kruger's progress was serene throughout, Siem endured a nightmare start and had to dig deep to overcome double-bogeys on each of the first two holes.
Whiteford also had his problems, double-bogeying the sixth - after careering through the green - and then the 17th, but remained in the hunt thanks to six birdies.
Spain's Jose Manuel Lara catapulted himself into contention with an eight-under 64 to join McGinley and Warren in a tie for fifth alongside Thailand's Prom Meesawat (71), Italy's Andrea Pavan (67) and Australia's Marcus Fraser.
With a total of 14 players within three shots of Kruger, the leader acknowledged he still has plenty to do to get over the line on Sunday.
"I'm going to try to play how I played today," he told the European Tour's official website. "If it's meant to be my week, it'll be mine, so I don't want to think too far ahead yet.
"The putts need to go in and I think that's what defines the winner. I've been reading the greens a little better as I've been struggling with it during the week.
"My putting has been good and if I can see the line, I'm confident my putts will go in. I'm improving and I'm a lot more experienced, and I think that will give me the edge."
