Virat Kohli’s century against Australia is a historic achievement, which has become an important part of his illustrious career. So far, Kohli has scored 11 centuries on Australian soil, including 7 Test and 4 ODI centuries.
Virat Kohli has broken Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six centuries, becoming the Indian batsman with the most Test centuries on Australian soil. His first Test century came in Adelaide in 2012, and after that he played many memorable innings, the most special of which was his innings of 169 runs.
This blog post will tell the story of Virat Kohli’s centuries against Australia in Tests and ODIs. It will discuss his records and his brilliant performance in Australia, which has made him a cricket legend.
Century Machine Against Australia
Virat Kohli‘s technique and strong mindset have brought him success against Australia, be it the Boxing Day Test or his brilliant innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli has also performed well against Australia in ODI cricket, such as innings of 123 runs in Ranchi and 118 runs in Visakhapatnam.
Although he has not been able to score a century in T20 cricket so far, he has definitely scored many impressive half-centuries against Australia. In 2024, his 30th Test century in the Perth Test further proves the greatness of his career.
Kohli’s Test Centuries Against Australia
| Runs | Mins | BF | 4s | 6s | SR | Pos | Dismissal | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 116 | 237 | 213 | 11 | 1 | 54.46 | 6 | lbw | 2 | v Australia | Adelaide | 24 Jan 2012 |
| 107 | 266 | 206 | 15 | 1 | 51.94 | 5 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Chennai | 22 Feb 2013 |
| 115 | 267 | 184 | 12 | 0 | 62.50 | 4 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Adelaide | 9 Dec 2014 |
| 141 | 279 | 175 | 16 | 1 | 80.57 | 4 | caught | 4 | v Australia | Adelaide | 9 Dec 2014 |
| 169 | 380 | 272 | 18 | 0 | 62.13 | 4 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Melbourne | 26 Dec 2014 |
| 147 | 315 | 230 | 20 | 0 | 63.91 | 4 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Sydney | 6 Jan 2015 |
| 123 | 373 | 257 | 13 | 1 | 47.85 | 4 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Perth | 14 Dec 2018 |
| 186 | 517 | 364 | 15 | 0 | 51.09 | 4 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Ahmedabad | 9 Mar 2023 |
| 100* | 226 | 143 | 8 | 2 | 69.93 | 4 | not out | 3 | v Australia | Perth | 22 Nov 2024 |
Kohli’s Test Centuries in Australia Soil
Virat Kohli’s 1st Test century 116 (213)
On 24 January 2012, 23-year-old Virat Kohli scored his first Test century, a milestone in his cricketing career. The match was played at the Adelaide Oval. India had lost 4 wickets for 87 runs, then Kohli rescued the team from crisis by scoring a brilliant 116 runs. He scored 116 runs in 213 balls, which included 11 fours and 1 six. With this contribution, India’s total score reached 272. However, India lost the match by 298 runs.
Second Test hundred 115 (184)
Virat Kohli scored the second century of his Test career in the first Test match played against Australia in Adelaide. He played this innings of 115 runs in 184 balls in his debut match as a Test captain. Kohli came to the crease when India’s score was 30 runs for 2 wickets and the team was in trouble.
After the dismissal of Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara, Kohli took charge of the situation and stabilized the Indian innings. He made partnerships with Murali Vijay and then Ajinkya Rahane, which strengthened the team and enabled them to struggle against the Australian bowlers.
Kohli’s innings was particularly important when he was hit on the helmet by a fast ball from Mitchell Johnson.
Third Test hundred 141 (175)
Virat Kohli’s third Test century came in December 2014 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval, where he scored 141 runs off 175 balls. In this match, Australia had scored 517 runs in their first innings and set India a target of 364 runs. Kohli’s innings kept India’s hopes alive, especially when he make a 141-run partnership for the third wicket with Murali Vijay. Vijay scored 99 runs. Kohli’s innings included 16 fours and 1 six.
Although India eventually lost by 48 runs, Kohli’s innings took India to the brink of victory. But as Vijay was dismissed and Nathan Lyon bowled brilliantly, Still, Kohli continued to play aggressive shots, including sweeps, pulls and cover drives.
Fourth Test hundred 169 (272)
Virat Kohli’s fourth Test century came against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the 2014–15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he scored 169 runs from 272 balls. This innings was a significant milestone in his career. Kohli’s innings included 18 fours, and one of his pull shots, played against Mitchell Johnson, was particularly spectacular.
Kohli 169 innings played a key role in India scoring 465 runs in the first innings, while Australia had scored 530 runs earlier. Although the match was eventually drawn, Kohli also scored a crucial 58 in the second innings, helping India stay in the match.
Fifth Test hundred 147 (230)
Virat Kohli’s 147 against Australia in the 4th Test of the 2014–15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Sydney Cricket Ground was his 6th century of his career and 5th against Australia. This innings played on 6 January 2015. Kohli show his batting style brilliantly by scoring 147 runs in 230 balls, especially when he was facing tough bowlers like Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
Kohli make a crucial partnership with KL Rahul, in which Rahul also scored a century, and together they score India’s total to 475 runs.
Virat Kohli further highlighted his stellar series in which he scored a total of 692 runs, which is one of the highest scores by an Indian batsman in a Test series in Australia.
Sixth Test hundred 123 (257)
Virat Kohli’s 123-run century at Perth Stadium against Australia in the second Test of the 2018–19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy is considered a achievement in his Test cricket. In this match played on 16 December 2018, Kohli scored 123 runs in 257 balls, which was a brilliant performance considering the difficult pitch conditions.
During this century, Kohli score a 74-run partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara and a 91-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane. However, India lost the match by 146 runs. This century helped him become the second-fastest player to score 25 centuries in Test cricket.
Seventh Test hundred: 100* (143)
Virat Kohli scored 7th century of his Test career against Australia at the Optus Stadium in Perth on 24 November 2024 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored an unbeaten 100 off 143 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, and had a strike rate of 69.93. The century was special as it was his first Test century in Australia since 2018, and his 30th century in Test cricket.
With this century, Kohli achieved the honour of becoming India’s highest century-scorer in terms of centuries in Australia, breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record of six centuries.
Kohli has scored seven Test centuries in Australia, and he is now second in this regard after England’s Jack Hopes (nine centuries). This achievement is a great milestone in Kohli’s career, which points to many more records to be created in his cricket history.
Virat Kohli has scored 2204 runs in 29 matches against Australia in Test cricket at an average of 45.91, which is a testament to his consistency and patience. His performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been particularly noteworthy
Kohli’s style of playing against Australia in Test cricket has evolved over time, demonstrating his adaptability and willingness to improve his technical skills.
Also Read- How Virat Kohli Surpassed the Master Blaster, Sachin Tendulkar
Kohli’s ODI Centuries Against Australia
| Runs | Mins | BF | 4s | 6s | SR | Pos | Dismissal | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 118 | 193 | 121 | 11 | 1 | 97.52 | 3 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Visakhapatnam | 20 Oct 2010 |
| 100* | 82 | 52 | 8 | 7 | 192.30 | 3 | not out | 2 | v Australia | Jaipur | 16 Oct 2013 |
| 115* | 104 | 66 | 18 | 1 | 174.24 | 3 | not out | 2 | v Australia | Nagpur | 30 Oct 2013 |
| 117 | 174 | 117 | 7 | 2 | 100.00 | 3 | caught | 1 | v Australia | Melbourne | 17 Jan 2016 |
| 106 | 131 | 92 | 11 | 1 | 115.21 | 3 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Canberra | 20 Jan 2016 |
| 104 | 150 | 112 | 5 | 2 | 92.85 | 3 | caught | 2 | v Australia | Adelaide | 15 Jan 2019 |
| 116 | – | 120 | 10 | 0 | 96.66 | 3 | caught | 1 | v Australia | Nagpur | 5 Mar 2019 |
| 123 | – | 95 | 16 | 1 | 129.47 | 3 | bowled | 2 | v Australia | Ranchi | 8 Mar 2019 |
Kohli’s ODI Centuries in Australia
First ODI hundred in Australia 117 (117)
Virat Kohli scored his first ODI century against Australia on 17 January 2016 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In this match, he completed his century by scoring 117 runs in 117 balls, which included 7 fours and 2 sixes. This was the 24th century of his career and also the record of scoring the fastest 7000 runs in ODI cricket, as he achieved this figure in just 161 innings.
Second ODI hundred in Australia 106 (92)
Three days later, on 20 January 2016, Virat Kohli scored his second century in the fourth ODI against Australia in Canberra. Chasing a target of 349 runs, he completed his century in 84 balls, which was his 25th ODI century. He scored 106 runs in 92 balls, which included 11 fours and 1 six.
Kohli’s century was very important for India in this difficult situation. 92-run partnership between Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan stabilized India’s innings and made it easy to reach the target. However, later excellent bowling by John Hastings and Kane Richardson put India under pressure.
Virat Kohli’s 25th ODI century brought him level with Kumar Sangakkara, who is fourth on the list of players with most ODI centuries. At the time, they were tied for fourth place, behind only Sachin Tendulkar (49 centuries), Ricky Ponting (30 centuries) and Sanath Jayasuriya (28 centuries).
Third ODI hundred in Australia 104 (112)
Virat Kohli displayed his batting prowess by scoring yet another brilliant century in the third ODI against Australia at the Adelaide Oval on 15 January 2019. Australia had set India a target of 299 runs and if India won, they would have claimed the series win.
Kohli took 66 balls to score his first 50 runs, which included only two boundaries. Then he accelerated his batting and started targeting Nathan Lyon. His second 50 came in just 42 balls, and with this century he achieved his 39th century in ODI cricket. Kohli’s innings proved to be very important in India’s 6-wicket win.
Virat Kohli’s performance against Australia in the ODI format is beyond brilliant. He has scored 2,367 runs in 49 matches at an average of 53.79 and a strike rate of 94.00. Kohli’s specialty is his ability to chase(Chase Master) big targets easily under pressure. He has 8 centuries against Australia, which shows his consistency and ability to score big.
Experts and commentators often praise Kohli’s “calm temperament” and “strategic batting“, which brings him success even in difficult situations. Especially, Kohli’s batting shows a unique confidence and patience while chasing the target, which makes him a wonderful batsman against Australia. This trait of his gives him the status of a chase master not only for India but also in the world of cricket.
Also Read- King Kohli’s Captaincy Record in All Formats of Cricket
Kohli’s t20 Record Against Australia
Virat Kohli’s performance against Australia in T20 international matches is very impressive. He has scored 794 runs in 22 matches at an average of 52.93 and a strike rate of 143.84, including 8 half-centuries. His highest score is 90 not out. Kohli has played an important role in India’s victory by playing brilliant innings on important occasions many times.
Kohli’s most memorable T20 innings was seen in the quarter-finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup in Mohali. India was chasing a target of 161 runs and was in trouble at 49/3 in 7.4 overs. At this time of crisis, Kohli took charge and scored an unbeaten 82 off 51 balls to give India victory. His innings was not only an example of excellent strategy and correct shot selection, but also shows how great a player he is under pressure. This is why he is called the “Chase Master“.
Kohli vs. Australia
The contest between Virat Kohli and Australia is not just limited to technical play, but it also takes the form of psychological warfare. “Spit” and “sledging,” that is, verbal remarks made to distract attention, have been seen frequently between Kohli and the Australian players.
However, on some occasions this pressure and tension on the field has also proved challenging for Kohli. Experts believe that this psychological game has a deep impact on his performance.
Kohli’s record against Australia and his impact have made him one of the most celebrated players of this historic cricketing encounter. His statistics are a testament to his strength. He constantly challenged the Australian bowlers, playing several memorable knocks that mesmerised fans and earned respect from his opponents.
FAQs About Virat Kohli Centuries Against Australia
How many centuries has Virat Kohli scored against Australia?
Kohli has scored a total of 10 centuries against Australia: 7 in Test matches and 3 in ODIs.
What is Kohli’s highest Test score in Australia?
Kohli’s highest Test score in Australia is 169, achieved against Australia in Melbourne in December 2014.
How many Test centuries has Kohli scored at the Adelaide Oval?
Kohli has scored 3 Test centuries at the Adelaide Oval.
Has Kohli ever scored a Test century in Australia in a winning cause?
Yes, Kohli scored his first Test century in a winning cause in Australia in Perth in 2024. It was his seventh Test hundred in Australia overall.
Has Kohli scored a century in every Test ground in Australia?
Kohli has scored a century at every major Australian Test ground except the Gabba in Brisbane. He has also scored an ODI century at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
What did Pat Cummins say about Kohli scoring a century?
Pat Cummins predicted that Kohli would not score a century during the 2018 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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