Indian bowlers made early inroads into the New Zealand batting to leave the visitors reeling at 85 for four at tea on day two of the second Test in Kolkata Saturday.

The visitors were still trailing India, who posted 316 in their first innings, by 295 runs when rain interrupted play, forcing the umpires to call for an early break.

Stand-in-skipper Ross Taylor was unbeaten on 30 after losing his partner Luke Ronchi for 35 when a steady drizzle began falling over Kolkata's Eden Gardens stadium.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke through Ronchi's resistence after trapping the batsman lbw, though TV replays suggested the ball may have missed the leg stump.

Indian medium-pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets while Mohammed Shami claimed one to hurt the visitors' reply.

New Zealand lost openers Tom Latham (1) and Martin Guptill (13) before the lunch break to hand India the advantage.

Earlier the hosts, who started the day on 239 for seven, were bolstered by Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 54, which was laced with 7 fours and 2 sixes.

Saha and Jadeja, who scored 14, put on 41 runs for the eighth wicket to add some useful runs to the team's first innings score.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Saha, who registered his third Test fifty in 17 matches, looked in fine form but ran out of partners at the other end.

Source: AFP