ICC to present the Test mace to Virat Kohli at the end of Indore Test

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will be handing over the ICC Test mace to Indian skipper Virat Kohli. The Test mace to the top-ranked side in the format. With a comfortable series win over New Zealand, India have displaced Pakistan at the top of the rankings. India needed to win the series in a bid to get to the top. When they registered a thumping win in the 2nd Test at Kolkata, India were officially the number one ranked side.

However, they have to wait for the series to end to see the ICC rankings updated. Thus the Indian team move to the top of the rankings officially when the rankings get updated at the end of the Indore Test. It will be ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Sunil Gavaskar who will hand over the ICC Test mace to Virat Kohli on behalf of the ICC after the presentation ceremony of the match.

The mace was designed and made by the then British Crown Jeweller, Asprey & Garrard, in the year 2001. It was commissioned to make a distinguishing prize designed to stand out from other cricket trophies. Asprey and Garrard made a 90cm silver and gold-plated trophy based on a cricket stump as its shank, topped by an orb that represents the cricket world. The orb has the emblems of the all 10 Test teams registered with the ICC.

The trophy is regarded as a symbol of authority and prestige. This is considered as an appropriate combination given the rich history of Test cricket and its image as the most traditional and purest form of the game.

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The mace had an approximate value of £30,000 in the year 2001 when it was produced. It automatically passes from one team to another as results confirm a change in the ICC rankings after every series in the ICC Test Team Rankings table. Recently about a month ago, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was handed the Test mace after they drew with England in the away series.

Virat Kohli will become the tenth captain to lift the mace after Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Steve Smith (all Australia), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India), Andrew Strauss (England), Graeme Smith (South Africa), Hashim Amla (South Africa), and Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan).