After hammering New Zealand in the third and final Test match at Indore India rose back to number one Test rankings. The International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship mace was presented to Kohli by former India captain and ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar after the post-match presentation ceremony.
India defeated New Zealand by 321 runs in the third and final Test to take the series 3-0. Virat Kohli has become only the second India captain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni and 10th overall to receive the mace. This is for the fourth time India topped ICC test rankings.
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“It’s an honour and a moment of great pride to receive the ICC Test Championship mace. To be recognised as the best in the traditional form of the game is as good as it gets for any team and stuff that dreams are made of,” Kohli said.
“I would like to thank all players and support staff, who have all been part of our team because I feel such an achievement is only possible with contribution from all quarters. To reach the top of the Test rankings takes a lot of hard work and perseverance,” the India captain added.
According to latest ICC Test rankings, With 115 rating points from 29 matches India now are comfortable placed at number one while Pakistan is four points behind at the second spot. India now is ranked number Test side for the fourth time since the inception of rankings in 2003. The first time India became number one was from November 2009 to August 2011.