Axar Patel let Virat Kohli score a ton vs PAK out of fear, sensationally claims batting great

Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has lauded India's allrounder Axar Patel for showing a good spirit in letting Virat Kohli complete his hundred against Pakistan at Dubai.

Axar Patel came in to bat later in India's innings. With India not needing many runs to win and Virat Kohli close to his hundred, Axar ensured not to try for big shots and instead let Kohli take much of the strike which let him complete his century.

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"Massive win" for India - Sunil Gavaskar

While speaking to Sports Today, Sunil Gavaskar shed light on Axar Patel's brief knock which proved to be important for Virat Kohli. He claimed that Axar gave the strike to Kohli to let his complete his hundred and also called India's win as a "massive" one.

"Well, he showed that because he was taking singles. He could have kept the strike but he wanted to take the team to as emphatic win as possible," the former India opener said.

"The more deliveries you have to spare, it tells you how much you have dominated the game. If you win by 70-80 balls (remaining), that is a massive win," Gavaskar added.

India won the match with 7.3 overs to spare which is a significant margin of victory. Virat Kohli and Axar Patel were unbeaten at the crease as the former hit the winning runs and completed his century off the last delivery of the match.

Sunil Gavaskar lauds Axar Patel for letting Virat Kohli score hundred

Sunil Gavaskar claimed that Axar Patel showed respect for Virat Kohli as he just took the singles and allowed the veteran batter to complete his century. According to Gavaskar, Axar sacrificed his own runs to let Kohli complete his ton.

"Axar Patel when he came in realised that if he hits a boundary, he would have never been forgiven. Centuries don't come everyday. As a team man, knowing that the situation you are in, you want to make sure that your teammate who has worked hard gets to a hundred," Gavaskar said.

"He has batted splendidly. Why should he remain stranded at 97, 98 not out. It was not there were one or two overs left that you have to make every ball count for runs. That tells you the respect Kohli holds among his teammates that they were able to make sacrifices of their runs so that he could achieve a landmark," he noted.

How did Axar Patel help Virat Kohli?

Axar Patel came to bat when India had lost Hardik Pandya off the last ball of Shaheen Afridi's over. However, he didn't try to take any risks and was more focused on giving Virat Kohli the strike.

There was a moment when there was an easy two available but Axar didn't run after the single to let Kohli be on strike. While Kohli wasn't pleased, Axar ensured that his teammate reaches a well-deserved ton.

In the next over, Kohli smashed a four through the covers to Khushdil Shah to reach his 51st ODI hundred. It was a cracking knock from the 36-year-old as he remained unbeaten on 100 off 111 balls.