The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has officially clarified that Akash Deep’s delivery that dismissed Joe Root during the recent Edgbaston Test was legal, addressing the controversy that emerged regarding the bowler’s back foot position. The MCC, which serves as the custodian of cricket laws, explained that the legality of a delivery is determined by where the foot first lands, not its subsequent position, putting to rest the debate that arose after footage showed Deep’s back foot appearing to touch outside the return crease.The dismissal occurred during the second delivery of the tenth over when Akash Deep bowled Root with an incoming delivery during the second Test between England and India. The wicket proved crucial as it reduced England to 50/3 while chasing a target of 608 runs.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The controversy began when television footage showed Deep’s back foot potentially crossing the return crease, leading to discussions about whether it should have been called a no-ball. Several commentators, including former England batter Jonathan Trott during a studio discussion on JioStar, questioned the delivery’s legality.Third umpire Paul Reiffel did not intervene on the delivery, while Chris Gaffaney and Sharfuddoula Saikat, the on-field umpires, allowed the dismissal to stand. Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who was commenting at the time, maintained that the delivery was legal.The MCC spokesperson provided a detailed explanation of the ruling: “On Day four of India’s Test against England last week, there were questions raised about the delivery from Akash Deep which bowled Joe Root, with some fans and commentators believing it to be a no ball. While Deep landed unusually wide on the crease, and some of his back foot appeared to touch the ground outside the return crease, the third umpire did not call a no ball. MCC is happy to clarify that this was a correct decision in Law,” reported Cricbuzz.The MCC referenced Law 21.5.1, which states: “For a delivery to be fair in respect of the feet, in the delivery stride the bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery.”READ | Akash Deep: A Mohammed Rafi fan who once called cricket ‘ameeron ka khel,’ never trusted his ‘hunar’ and is now India’s Edgbaston heroFurther clarifying the interpretation, the MCC explained: “MCC has always defined the moment that the back foot lands as the first point of contact with the ground. As soon as there is any part of the foot touching the ground, that foot has landed, and it is the foot’s position at that time which is to be considered for a back foot no ball.”
Akash Deep’s dismissal of Joe Root created a flutter for being a no ball during the second Test between India and England at Edgbaston. (Image: Screenshot)
The MCC concluded: “Clearly, at the point Deep’s foot first touched the ground, the back foot was within and not touching the return crease. Some of his foot may have touched the ground outside the crease subsequently – that is not relevant to this Law. At the point of landing he was within the crease, and this was therefore rightly deemed to be a legal delivery.”England were eventually bowled out for 271 on the final day, resulting in India’s series-levelling victory by 336 runs in the second Test of the five-match series.
