In the 13 Tests, the former Indian captain Virat Kohli has featured in Australia over the years, the veteran has notched up 1352 runs at an average of over 54 with a strike rate of more than 50 with the help of six centuries and eight half-centuries at the best score of a 169-run knock at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
When it comes to his record book against this opposition, Virat Kohli has smashed 2042 runs in the five-day format of the game in 44 innings at an average of 47.48 and a strike rate of 52.41, with the help of eight centuries and five half-centuries at the best score of 186-run knock at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Delhi-born recently was asked to pick the innings, which is the closest to his heat. The batter has rated the one where he smashed a century at the Optus Stadium in Perth, but the result didn’t go in the team’s favor during the second red-ball clash of the 2018/19 series.
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Only four batters from the Indian side have celebrated a century in a Test match in Perth, consisting of both WACA and the Optus Stadium. Virat Kohli is the latest on the list, along with Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Virat Kohli votes for this innings ‘close to heart’ in Australia
The Perth venue is considered to be the fastest and the most bounciest venue in Australia, with the batters going through a very tough time. The maiden century of the 36-year-old down under came at the Adelaide Oval, where he smashed two back-to-back centuries in the 2014/15 Border Gavaskar Trophy.
But he has given the honor to his last and only outing in Perth when he cracked a 123-run knock. He also recalled the surfaced as the toughest he has ever batted on.
“My best knock in Australia will be my 100 at Perth. 2018-19 series that we played. I thought that was the toughest pitch that I played on in Test cricket. It was great to get a hundred on that tour.” Virat Kohli replied to the question of the team’s fast bowler, Mohammad Siraj, in a video that was uploaded by the BCCI titled, ‘Ask the Next One.’
The home side, batting first, posted 326 runs in their first innings, thanks to the 112-run opening stand between the two half-centurions- Marcus Harris and Aaron Finch, before Travis Head contributed with a 58-run knock in the middle order.
India found themselves limping at 8/2 in the sixth over before Virat Kohli strode into the middle and opened his account with an on-the-drive for a boundary. He cracked a 123-run knock with the help of 13 boundaries and one six to carry them to 283 in their first innings.
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The six-wicket haul in the second innings from Mohammad Shami destroyed the home side for 243 in their second innings. But, the variable bounce and the topsy-turvy surface were always expected to make it hard for the visiting side to chase down a target of nearly 300 runs in the fourth innings.
India was folded up for 140 in 56 overs, with Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane top-scoring with joint 30s, as Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon enjoyed three wickets each in the second innings.
In the two Tests in Perth (one at the WACA and one at the Optus), Virat Kohli has smacked 259 runs in at an average of 64.75 and will look to repeat the same in the series opener from November 22.
