Eoin Morgan made merry in a shower of sixes off the Afghanistan bowling in the ICC World Cup 2019

It was the favorites versus the minnows, and a shower, nay tempest, of sixes like never before. England skipper Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bat in the face-off with Afghanistan at Old Trafford at the 2019 World Cup.

James Vince and Jonny Bairstow put on a steady 44 in 9.3 overs before the former departed. Joined by Joe Root, Bairstow clobbered the first six, straight over the bowler Rahmat Shah. The fifty of the stand came in 8.5 overs.

Bairstow raised his half-century off 61 balls. A bit later, he rocketed Rashid Khan over wide long-on into the stands. The century partnership arrived in 16.5 overs. Bairstow hoisted Mohammad Nabi for a straight six.

Afghan captain Gulbadin Naib took a fine diving return catch to send back Bairstow for 90. He had faced 99 deliveries and struck 8 fours besides the 3 sixes. The stand was worth 120 in 20.2 overs. In came Morgan.

After a brief look-in, Morgan smashed a short one from Gulbadin over the mid-wicket fence and lofted the next over long-on for another six. Root reached his fifty off 54 deliveries.

After a four to mid-wicket, Morgan despatched Rashid higher in the same direction for a six. The last ball was short, Morgan swung it again on the on-side high above the ropes, logging the half-century of the stand in 6.1 overs.

Nabi too dropped short and, by rote, Morgan dismissed it for another six to race to his fifty in 36 balls. He slog-swept Mujeeb Ur Rahman for his sixth six. Nabi was again in the firing line. Morgan blasted him straight, then hammered the next over mid-wicket for one more six. That was the century partnership in a mere 10.4 overs.

Morgan welcomed Rashid back by thumping him over the long-on boundary, then pulled him over mid-wicket and once again cleared long-on for three sixes in the over. That raised his hundred off just 57 deliveries, the fourth-fastest in the World Cup.

Rashid had to face the same ordeal in his next over. It was Root’s turn, though, to hit the first of the sixes, over long-on. Then, Morgan, on one knee, sent the ball sailing over square-leg, and blasted the last over long-off. The 150 of the stand came from 14.5 overs.

Eoin Morgan's 7 sixes off Rashid Khan the most against a bowler in an ODI

Gulbadin Naib congratulates Eoin Morgan after dismissing him. (Getty Images)

Dawlat Zadran came back into this storm. After a boundary by Root, Morgan knocked one that bounced on the ropes and cut the next to the pickets. Now Gulbadin returned and Morgan extended no courtesies to his opposite number. He sent the first delivery soaring beyond the ropes at long-off and propelled the next over long-on.

That equalled the record of 16 sixes in an ODI, struck by Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle.

Root hit the fourth into the hands of Rahmat Shah at long-on. His 88 spanned 82 balls, embellished with a six and five boundaries. The partnership realized 189 runs in 16.5 overs, the highest for England in the World Cup.

Morgan smacked the next straight for his record 17th six, a hundred in sixes alone. He knocked the last straight to Rahmat Shah at long-off. His tremendous 148 took just 71 deliveries. He struck four boundaries as well.

Moeen Ali too clouted four sixes. The 25 sixes cracked by England were the most in any ODI innings. They improved their own record of 24 sixes against West Indies earlier in 2019.

The seven sixes hit by Morgan off Rashid Khan were the most by a batsman against a bowler in an ODI. The 11 sixes conceded by Rashid Khan were the most by a bowler in an ODI. The 110 runs given away by him were the highest by any bowler in a World Cup match.

England’s 397 for six was their biggest total in the World Cup. The Afghans hit eight sixes in their 247 for eight. The 33 sixes were the maximum in any World Cup match.

“Today was a fantastic day for us, and I managed to have a day out, which was great,” was how Morgan summed up what was an extraordinary innings. It left the crowd satiated.