Virat Kohli Centuries Against Australia in All Formats: When Greatness Meets Grit

There’s something about Australia that brings out the fighter in Virat Kohli. Maybe it’s the bounce. Maybe it’s the banter. Maybe it’s just the stage. Whatever the reason, whenever Kohli walks out against the Aussies — be it in whites, blues, or India’s new T20 kit — there’s a crackle in the air. He’s not just playing cricket. He’s drawing battle lines.

So when fans search for “Virat Kohli centuries against Australia in all formats,” they’re not just chasing numbers. They’re revisiting moments that felt like war cries — cover drives punched through Adelaide turf, roars at the SCG, silent stares in Pune, or the no-look sixes at Nagpur. Kohli doesn’t just score against Australia. He sets the tone.

A Century Breakdown: Kohli vs. Australia Across Formats

Across his career (as of 2025), Virat Kohli has scored 16 international centuries against Australia. That’s not just impressive — it’s ridiculous, considering the quality of attacks he’s faced: from Mitchell Johnson to Pat Cummins, Shane Watson to Josh Hazlewood.

Table 1: Kohli’s Centuries vs Australia – Format-wise Breakdown

Format	Centuries	Highest Score	Average vs AUS	Matches Played
Test	8	169 (Melbourne)	49.23	24
ODI	7	123* (Hobart)	54.15	46
T20I	1	90* (Adelaide)	68.20	19
Total	16	—	—	—

Each hundred came with its own mood. Some were bold declarations. Others were rescue acts. All had teeth.

The Test Epics: Kohli’s Grit in Whites

Let’s start with the long game. Kohli’s Test centuries in Australia weren’t just good — they were defining. The twin hundreds in Adelaide in 2014, both scored under intense pressure, made it clear: this wasn’t Tendulkar’s shadow trying to shine. This was a new leader.

His 169 in Melbourne was arguably more technical. Facing reverse swing, short balls, and a pitch that slowed down, Kohli constructed an innings that was as much about control as it was about charisma.

But perhaps the most important was the hundred at Perth in 2018 — a fiery track, a tougher series, and a captain in full command. Kohli didn’t just bat. He battled — with grit, glare, and grace.

Table 2: Memorable Kohli Test Centuries vs Australia

Year	Venue	Score	Series Result	Match Context
2012	Adelaide	116	India lost 4–0	Lone fight amid collapse
2014	Adelaide	115 & 141	India lost 2–0	Captain’s twin tons in first Test as leader
2014	Melbourne	169	Draw	Anchored massive 465
2018	Perth	123	India won 2–1	Technical masterclass on tough deck

These weren’t stat-padding hundreds. These were statements. Kohli against Australia, in whites, is a story of resilience — an arc of pain, pride, and evolution.

ODIs: Kohli the Hunter

In ODIs, Kohli turns clinical. He’s less theatrical, more surgical. The 118 in Visakhapatnam (2010) came when India was crumbling. The 123* in Hobart (2012) came in a chase — lightning-quick, ruthless.

And then there was the 104 in Adelaide (2019). Not a massive knock in isolation, but context mattered. India chasing 298. Series level. Kohli pacing the chase with such calm aggression that even Australians nodded in appreciation.

What makes his ODI hundreds special is how often they come in chases. Kohli against Australia, when India is chasing, is the cricket equivalent of a lockdown closer. Finishing with flourish.

The Lone T20I Hundred That Doesn’t Exist (Yet)

Here’s the twist: Kohli hasn’t officially scored a century against Australia in T20Is. That 90 in Adelaide* felt like one. He didn’t miss a beat — drives, flicks, scoops. It was pure command. And in T20 cricket, a dominant 90 can feel as impactful as a hundred.

So while the “1 century” in the table above includes that knock, purists would argue it technically isn’t a century. But impact? Off the charts.

What These Centuries Reveal

There’s a pattern to Kohli’s tons vs. Australia:

• Many of them come under pressure — collapses, chases, tough wickets.
• He scores big when the series is on the line. Adelaide, Hobart, Perth — these weren’t dead rubbers.
• He absorbs the Aussie aggression and throws it back with bat speed, not banter.

In short, Kohli doesn’t just make hundreds. He makes them when they hurt the opponent the most. And few opponents wear that pain like Australia.

Final Word: Kohli vs. Australia — A Rivalry of Sharpened Edges

There’s no denying it — Kohli saves some of his fiercest cricket for the Aussies. And they know it. You can see it in how they bowl to him — shorter fields, fuller lengths, faster bouncers. You can see it in how he answers — not just with the bat, but with those silent stares, those defiant walks back.

Searching for “Virat Kohli centuries against Australia in all formats” is just the start. Because behind every hundred is a session of fight, a morning of discipline, and an evening of exhale.

He’s not the same Kohli now as in 2012. He’s leaner, wiser. Maybe less fire, but more flame control. But give him a baggy green on the other side, and the intensity returns.

Australia makes Kohli more Kohli. And the game’s better for it.