India vs Australia: Virat Kohli Picks Perth Century From 6 Years Ago as His Best Test Knock on Australian Soil

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Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has picked the century from six years ago at the WACA in Perth as his favourite knocks in Test cricket on Australian soil as the build continues for what is likely his final tour Down Under for Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli comes to Perth with indifferent form, but the veteran India batter has an impressive record in Australia, where he has scored 1352 runs at an impressive average of 54.08, including six centuries and four half-centuries.

Three of Kohli's six Test hundreds in Australia have come at the Adelaide Stadium in Adelaide, while the remaining three have come at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), and finally at WACA.

Although Adelaide has been an happy hunting ground for Kohli, the 36-year-old picked his ton on a challenging surface at the old Perth Stadium as his best ever innings in an away Border-Gavaskar Trophy match.

Kohli scored a remarkable 123 in Perth during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. His innings which included 13 boundaries and one six, stands as his finest achievement in Australia, and it was also his last Test century Down Under.

"My best knock in Australia is definitely my 100 at Perth in the 2018/19 series. I thought that was the toughest pitch I played on. It was great to get a 100 on that wicket," Kohli said in a video shared by the BCCI.

While his past performances have matched the hype, this upcoming BGT series presents a make-or-break scenario for the superstar as he faces the dual challenge of regaining form and overcoming technical struggles.

Kohli has been far from his best coming into the tour Down Under. In 19 international matches this year, he has managed just 488 runs at an alarmingly low average of 20.33, with only two half-centuries in 25 innings and a top score of 76.

His decline in Test cricket has been particularly disheartening, as his current form contrasts sharply with the heights he achieved between 2016 and 2019. During that period, Kohli amassed 4208 runs in Tests at an extraordinary average of 66.79, including 16 centuries, 10 fifties, and a record seven double centuries as a captain.

Since 2020, however, the star Indian batter has struggled in the longest format, scoring just 1838 runs in 34 Tests at an average of 31.68, with only two centuries and nine fifties.

His lean patch was further highlighted during this year's home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand, where he scored just 192 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.33, with one fifty. This dip in form saw him drop out of the ICC Men's Test batting rankings' Top 20 for the first time in a decade.

His place in the side has been questioned lately, but Australia has often been a stage for his redemption. It remains to be seen whether he can script another comeback in this series, starting with a knock at Perth this weekend.