World Cup 2019: Top four knocks of the tournament

#1 Eoin Morgan's whirlwind innings of 148 vs Afghanistan

Eoin Morgan.

England vs Afganistan was by far the most lopsided match-up in the 2019 World Cup, England were the favorites for the title and had dominated their last two games, winning by 106 runs and 8 wickets respectively, while Afghanistan, on the other hand, were playing in just their second ICC World Cup tournament and had lost both their previous two matches without putting up a fight.

England won the toss and elected to bat on a batters' paradise, their openers, especially Jonny Bairstow gave them a good start and by the time Eoin Morgan took guard, his team were well placed at 168 for 2 in 31 overs.

He got into action quickly by smoking both the 7th and 8th ball of his innings for maximums. Morgan made sure that Afghanistan's star spinner Rashid Khan was not allowed to settle down by smashing him for two sixes and a boundary during the leggie's 6th over.

He even went after one of Afganistan's most experienced campaigners, Mohammed Nabi, by pulling him over deep mid-wicket for six and in that process brought up his fifty off just 36 balls.

Morgan seemed to have developed a special liking for leg-spinner Rashid Khan, In the bowler's seventh over of the innings, Morgan smashed Rashid for three sixes with the last one bringing up his century in just 57 balls. In the leggie's following over, 45th of England's innings, Morgan again hit him for three maximums taking his total six tally to 13.

In the 47th over of the innings, Morgan went after his counterpart Gulbadin Naib and clubbed him for 3 sixes, taking his total tally of sixes hit in the match to 17. Naib had the last laugh though as he had Morgan caught at long-off off the last ball of the over but the English captain had done his job by then and had served up a batting masterclass for fans around the world.

Morgan finished with a score of 148 off 71 balls with 17 sixes and four fours. The 17 sixes he hit in the innings are the most by a batsman in the history of ODI cricket. Morgan's 57-ball-hundred is also the 4th fastest in World Cup history.