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New Zealand's Tom Blundell scored a courageous century against a dominant Australian attack in a losing second Test cause at the MCG.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is hoping opening batsman Tom Blundell's magnificent innings can inspire the battling Kiwis in Sydney.

Blundell brought up a second ton in just his third Test after being promoted to open for the first time in his first-class career at the MCG.

His sparkling 121 is the first Test hundred by a New Zealander in Melbourne.

In Blundell's previous two Tests - against the West Indies in 2017 - he batted at No.8 and took the gloves as the Kiwis' wicketkeeper.

The 29-year-old's courageous second-innings knock provided a rare highlight for the Black Caps on a nightmare tour of Australia in which they have been outplayed by the hosts.

But Williamson says his team can draw inspiration from Blundell to save face in the third and final Test at the SCG, starting on Friday.

"You look at some small positives and that was truly a fantastic innings," Williamson said.

"(Blundell) led the way and it's important we take a little bit from that."

Blundell played a brilliant innings following an early scare when he would have been out for a duck had the Australians reviewed an lbw decision.

On reaching three figures, he received a rousing ovation from a strong crowd of Kiwi supporters in the Southern Stand.

"It was pretty special hearing your name getting chanted out," Blundell said.

"It just happened to be my day today and I'm pretty pleased with the way I performed."

With his team chasing a world-record victory target of 488, Blundell stood tall when his more-experienced teammates failed against Australia's lethal pace attack.

Williamson went for a duck, while Ross Taylor was out for two.

On his way to reaching three figures, Blundell passed Taylor (108) as the Kiwis' leading run-scorer of the trans-Tasman series despite playing just one Test.

Blundell replaced Jeet Raval who had scored a pair of ones opening in the Black Caps' heavy defeat to Australia in Perth and made just 26 runs in his past five Test innings.

After his maiden Test hundred in 2017, he walked home from the Basin Reserve venue still dressed in his playing whites and carrying a match stump.

But it remains to be seen if he does something similar around inner-city Melbourne.