KOLKATA, India (AP) Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished on 5-33 as India reduced New Zealand to 128-7 in 34 overs at stumps on Saturday in the second test.
New Zealand trailed by 188 runs at the end of the second day in reply to India's first innings of 316.
It was Kumar's fourth five-wicket haul in test cricket. BJ Watling and Jeetan Patel were the unbeaten batsmen on 12 and 5, respectively.
More than two hours were lost due to a passing rain shower, triggering an early tea. Wet patches and a slight drizzle didn't allow play to resume until 4 p.m. local time. Even then, only 9.2 overs were bowled after the restart as poor light hampered further play.
It was enough for Kumar to exploit the greenish pitch and helpful conditions. He had Ross Taylor (36) caught at first slip. Then, four overs later, he trapped Mitchell Santner (11) leg before wicket and bowled Matt Henry (0) off successive deliveries. He missed his hat trick though, as New Zealand lost 3-43 in the restricted session.
Overall, 27 overs were lost on the day.
Earlier, India resumed overnight on 239-7.
Wriddhiman Saha (54 not out) struck an aggressive third test fifty to help India reach 316 in 104.5 overs and wrest the initiative from New Zealand. He put on 41 runs with Ravindra Jadeja (14) for the eighth wicket and a further 35 runs for the final wicket with his Bengal teammate Mohammed Shami (14).
Neil Wagner (2-57), Mitchell Santner (1-83) and Trent Boult (2-46) took the wickets for the Black Caps in the session.
