another century to cappo Smiff

Virat Kohli blasted a brilliant 169 to help India claw back into the third Test on Sunday and was still firing missiles at the Australian team well after the close of play on day three.

The flamboyant batsman has not taken a backward step on the tour, compiling three defiant centuries and fighting fire with fire in the face of Australia's verbal pot-shots.

He was dismissed by Mitchell Johnson to finish play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, but subjected the paceman to his worst day in the field in years, smashing him to the fence in three consecutive balls in one over.

Having driven India from a position of some peril in the morning to 8 for 462 at stumps, a tough-talking Kohli raised the stakes again for the rest of the series, saying he respected only "some" of the hosts' players.

"They were calling me a spoilt brat," Kohli told reporters. "I said 'maybe that's the way I am - I know you guys hate me and I like that'.