Both Kohli (169) and Ajinkya Rahane (147) produced career-best Test knocks in Melbourne on Sunday, as the tourists reached 462-8 at stumps - 68 runs adrift of Australia's first-innings total.
For Kohli his knock represented the fifth time he has surpassed 100 against Australia and he claims the sledging he receives from the hosts motivates him to perform.
"I like playing against Australia because it's very hard for them to stay calm," he said. "It really excites me and brings the best out in me and they don't seem to be learning the lesson.
"They were calling me a spoilt brat and I said 'maybe that's the way I am. I know you guys hate me and I like that'.
"You've got to send the right message across. I'm not going to go out there to take unnecessary words or chat from someone. I'm going out there to play cricket."
Kohli also stated he was annoyed by an incident involving Australia paceman Mitchell Johnson, in which the bowler hit Kohli with the ball during an attempted run out.
Johnson - who dismissed Kohli with the final ball of the day - apologised, but the pair were involved in a confrontation.
Kohli, though, says he was more determined after the incident.
"I was really annoyed with him hitting me with the ball and I told him 'that's not on, try to hit the stumps next time, not my body'," he added.
"I back myself that I can take him on, even if I keep talking to him. That's important. You can't back off after saying a few words and then not show it with your skill."
Australia seamer Ryan Harris (4-69) believes his side were made to rue a series of sloppy fielding errors.
"If we had taken our chances it could have been totally different," he said. "We have got pretty high standards with our fielding and that was pretty disappointing the way we fielded.
"No one means to drop catches but that was well below standards. As a group we bowled pretty well, first hour was good, second hour was not so good."