Superb batting from India have helped them achieve a lead of 246 runs. Shikhar Dhawan, at the top was brilliant but unfortunately he missed out on his ton. The middle order got starts but the players failed to capitalize.
Indian captain MS Dhoni and Rahane shared a 120-run stand for the seventh wicket. Dhoni got his fifty whereas Rahane crossed the triple digit mark for the first time. Handy runs from the tail-enders helped India go past the 400-run mark.
Trent Boult took a brilliant one-handed catch in the covers to dismiss Rahane off Tim Southee.
Rahane hit his maiden Test century as the Indian first innings lead crossed the 200-run mark.
Rahane got to his maiden hundred soon after Neil Wagner took his second wicket when he had Ravindra Jadeja caught by Peter Fulton at first slip.
Jadeja slammed six fours in his 16-ball 26 before falling to Wagner.
Trent Boult had Indian captain MS Dhoni caught behind by Bradley Watling down the leg side.
Dhoni smashed a six and 9 fours in his 68-run knock and added 120 runs for the seventh wicket with Rahane before becoming Boult's third victim.
Rahane and Dhoni brought up their 100-run stand off 120 balls.
Dhoni brought up his 29th Test half-century in the second over after tea.
India scored 100 runs for the loss of just one wicket in the second session of the day as Rahane reached his third Test half-century off 93 balls with the help of seven hits to the fence.
The stand came after Neil Wagner gave India the sixth blow as he dismissed Virat Kohli after a stand of 63 runs with Rahane.
Kohli scored 38 and consolidated India's innings along with Rahane after New Zealand's bowlers took three wickets in the morning session.
Shikhar Dhawan was dismissed agonisingly short of his third Test century as India overhauled Kiwis' first innings total to reach 201/5 at lunch.
New Zealand were dismissed for 192 on the first day after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to bowl on the green and bouncy Basin Reserve pitch.
Nightwatchman Ishant Sharma, who took career-best figures of 6/51 in New Zealand's innings, proved just as much of an annoyance to the hosts with the bat early on Saturday.
The gangly pace bowler combined with Dhawan for a 52-run partnership and lasted almost an hour for his 26 runs.
Boult eventually broke the partnership when he pushed a delivery across Ishant, who only succeeded in getting a thick edge through to wicketkeeper BJ Watling.
Dhawan, who had resumed on 71, moved effortlessly through to 94 and then his innings fell apart.
He attempted a quick single, only for him to slip over mid wicket before he got back to his feet and made it back to his crease safely.
He forgot that mishap to drive Southee to the cover fence before his 14th boundary on the next ball and was within sight of a second successive Test century after he scored 115 in the first Test at Eden Park.
Southee, however, enticed him to lash at a full delivery on the next ball and Watling took a sharp catch to leave the dejected left-handed opener slowly trudging off.
Jimmy Neesham then managed to snap up his first Test wicket when Rohit Sharma waved his bat at a ball without moving his feet and only succeeded in getting a thick inside edge that clattered into his stumps to leave the visitors 165/5 and the hosts sniffing a fightback.
New Zealand hold a 1-0 lead in the two-match series after their 40-run victory at Eden Park in the first Test.
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