Kolkata: Bhuvneswar Kumar's 5/33 haul led India to hold on the driver seat of the 2nd Test's second day as the hosts restricted New Zealand to 128 for loss of 7 wickets after scoring 316 all out in the first innings in rain marred play at Eden Gardens here today.New Zealand were trailing by 188 runs with three wickets in hand to complete the 1st innings.
Paceman Bhuvneswar Kumar broke the top order batting line of the visiting side with 5/33, his second best after 6/46, followed by Mohammed Shami 1/46 and Ravidra Jadeja 1/17.Kumar's victims were Martin Guptill ( 13) Henry Nicholls (1) and Ross Taylor (35), Mitchell Santner (11) and Matt Henry (0).
The last two victims were out in successive deliveries.Play resumed after about 2 hours of disruption for brief rains before the tea when New Zealand were 85 for loss of four wickets chasing India's first innings total of 316 all out.CAB President and former skipper Sourav Ganguly took active interest to start resumption of play around 1600 hours when everyone thought the match could not be restart for day.Earlier, local hero Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 54 runs put India to a respctable total of 316 all out.
India began their second day with 239/7 added another 77 runs, runs in the remaining three wickets to put the visiting side in a tight position on the unpredictable pitch of Eden.
Resuming their overnight score of 239/7 on day 1 In 86 overs as Wriddhiman Saha was (not out 14 ) and Ravindra Jadeja ( no 1) had altogether 41 run-partnership.
However, left hander Jadeja (14) was first to depart of the day when he pulled a Neil Wagner short delivery, to long leg and Matt Henry had no trouble to hold on his chest high ending India's 7th wicket partnership of 41 runs.
Immediately after pacer Bhuvneswar Kumar (5) was held lbw by left armed spinner Mitchell Santner when India were 281.Tail ender Mohammed Shami made valuable contribution of 14 before his pull was held by Matt Henry off pacer Trent Boult.Thirty-one-year-old wicket-keeper batsman Saha achieved his third half century in 17th Test when he hit a sixer from Mitchell Santner delivery at long on.
Saha, who made duck in Kanpur Test, ultimately remained not at 54 in 85 balls hitting two big sixes and seven boundaries. He was third highest scorer after Pujara and Rahane in this innings.
A stubborn 141-run 4th wicket partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (87) and Ajinkya Rahane (77) on day one took India in a very sound position. New Zealand's Matt Henry was highest wicket taker with 3/46, followed by Trent Boult 2/46, Neil Wagner 2/57, Jeetan Patel 2/66 and Santner 1/83.