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Watch: Jonny Bairstow wins hearts with touching gesture towards Rishabh Pant, Twitter calls it 'Best pic of the series'
More than the sporting heroics, it was a sporting gesture, after the match, that won many hearts on social media, who hailed it as the “Best pic in the series”.
India and England played a nail-biting decider on Sunday in Manchester where Rishabh Pant's century and Hardik Pandya's all-rounder brilliance helped the Rohit Sharma-led visiting team script a memorable five-wicket win and clinch their first ODI series win in the country since 2014. Pant and Hardik were hailed by the fans and by veteran cricketers for their fabulous efforts which helped India end their 2022 England tour on a memorable note. But more than the sporting heroics, it was a sporting gesture, after the match, that won many hearts on social media, who hailed it as the “Best pic in the series”.
Soon after Pant hit the winning shot, a reverse-sweep against a wider delivery from Joe Root, England players walked in to congratulate the Indian side. Chasing 260 in Manchester, where India have had a forgettable record against the hosts, Pant and Hardik's 133-run stand for the fifth wicket helped the Men in Blue wrap up the chase with 7.5 overs to spare.
As the players shook hands with England players congratulating Pant for his efforts, Jonny Bairstow, who has been a key player for the hosts throughout the entire T20I and ODI series, hugged Pant. And the sporting gesture immediately became a talking point on Twitter as many hailed the England batter.
Here is how Twitter reacted…
“Hopefully I remember (this knock) for the rest of my life. I was focusing on one ball at a time when I was batting. When your team is under pressure and you bat like that .. something I aspire to do. I always enjoy playing in England, at the same time enjoy the atmosphere and the situation. The more you play the more experience you gain. Nothing to take away from the bowlers, it was a good wicket to bat on and the bowlers did a commendable job to restrict them, they were brilliant not only today but for the entire series,” Pant said after his match-winning knock.
