New Zealand stable in chase of improbable 376

KOLKATA, India (AP) New Zealand dismissed India for 236 in the morning session Monday and then reached 55 without loss at lunch on the penultimate day, chasing an improbable victory target of 376 to level the three-match series with a test remaining.

Tom Latham, unbeaten on 31, and Martin Guptill, 24 not out, combined for New Zealand's best opening stand of the series, batting for just under an hour before the interval. Guptill survived a confident appeal for lbw in the 8th over when the New Zealand total was 16.

Earlier, Trent Boult (3-38) and Neil Wagner (1-45) finished off India's second innings in 76.5 overs.

Wriddhiman Saha was unbeaten on 58, his second half century of the match, and shared a 36-run stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (23) as the Indian tail once again frustrated the Black Caps.

India had a convincing win in the first test and has the upper hand in the second despite failing to take an early wicket. The highest winning fourth-innings total at Eden Gardens is 120-2 by India against South Africa in 2004-05.