While India skipper Shubman Gill undoubtedly looked a class apart and shattered multiple records with his batting to help India level the five-match series at 1-1 in Edgbaston, the win wouldn’t have been possible without the heroics of pacer Akash Deep.
Akash finished with 10 scalps from the match, of which six came in the second innings. Out of his exploits, the delivery to dismiss England great Joe Root stole the spotlight.
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The Indian speedster used the width of the crease to angle the ball in, but just as it was about to pitch, it held its line and shaped out. Root had already committed to the shot and was left reeling as his stumps were left shattered.
Despite the peach of a delivery, Akash Deep came under criticism regarding its legality. The allegations claimed that Akash Deep’s right leg was about two inches over the return crease.
According to the rules, the bowler’s foot cannot go over the return crease when it first lands and as a result, the dismissal sparked multiple debates.
Rule Law 21.5.1 of the MCC 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.”
Let’s watch the video of the dismissal closely below.
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The MCC clarified the rule, putting the controversy to rest once and for all. It highlighted that Akash Deep’s first point of contact with the backfoot was within the return crease although it crossed subsequently, terming the delivery to dismiss Root as legal.
The MCC said, “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.”
“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.”
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