Virat Kohli has played 13 Tests in Australia, amassing over 1300 runs and hitting six centuries, yet his most cherished innings came in a match India lost. Kohli considers his 123 in Perth during the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as the finest knock he has played in Australia. Only four Indian batters have ever scored a century in a Test at Perth—Sunil Gavaskar, MohinderAmarnath, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kohli—each century coming in challenging conditions.

Perth is known for its fast, bouncy pitches, making it a tough venue for batters. Given the difficult conditions, it’s no surprise that Kohli ranks this innings as his best. His maiden Test century at Adelaide in 2012 and his twin centuries at the same ground in 2014 are also iconic, but Kohli’s respect for the challenge at Perth speaks volumes about the difficulty of batting there. Kohli even referred to it as the toughest surface he’s ever played on.

“My best knock in Australia is definitely my hundred at Perth during the 2018-19 series. It was the toughest pitch I’ve played on in Test cricket,” Kohli said in a BCCI video. Although India lost that Test by an innings and 146 runs, they rebounded to win the Melbourne Test and eventually claimed their first-ever Test series victory in Australia. Despite struggling in the series beyond the Perth knock, Kohli’s joy came from the team’s historic achievement.