Virat Kohli receives ICC Test Championship mace as Team India remain No.1 ranked Test side

Cape Town, February 25: India skipper Virat Kohli was presented with the ICC Test Championship Mace by the International Cricket Council (ICC) at the end of the third and final T20 international against South Africa at the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday (February 24).

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Kohli, who did not participate in the third and final T20I against South Africa due to a stiff back, was handed over the Mace by ICC Hall of Famers Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Pollock.

India have ensured the number one spot on the ICC Test Team Rankings and a prize of USD 1 million after their victory in the third and final Test at Johannesburg against South Africa last month.

The win had ensured that no team can move ahead of India in the Test rankings at the 3 April cut-off date.

India won the prize for a second year running and have now been at the top of the rankings since October 2016. They have also been at the top two times before under Kohli - in January-February 2016 and in August 2016. India's longest stint at the number-one position was from November 2009 to August 2011, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the captain.

Upon receiving the Mace for the second consecutive time Kohli termed it as an acknowledgement of his team's success in the Test format, which is the real cricket.

Kohli said, "It's truly a great feeling to hold the ICC Test Championship mace again, which is an acknowledgement of our success in the truest format of the game.

"We're proud of the way we have performed in Test matches over the past couple of years and our performances have reflected in the rankings. The quality of a side is judged in the way players step up when needed, and that is what our boys have done time and again.

"It is heartening to be at the top of the Test rankings in an era when it's challenging to do consistently well across formats. But that is something that we have managed fairly well and something that I'd like my team to continue doing with their hard work and determination.

"I'd like to thank all players who have been part of our squads during this period and also the support staff for contributing to our success and for helping out in different aspects of the game. I'd also like to thank all our fans for supporting us across the globe."

The other captains to have received the mace are Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith (all Australia), Andrew Strauss (England), Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla (both South Africa) and Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan).