India won the Birmingham Test, Akash Deep took 10 wickets in the match, and yet, some people are still stuck on claiming that the delivery which dismissed Joe Root was a no-ball.
Anyway, here’s the breaking news – the MCC has now issued a statement, and they've made it crystal clear: it was not a no-ball. Still confused? No worries. Let’s break it down.
Check out this first image — the one that sent social media into meltdown mode. It clearly shows Akash Deep’s back foot touching the ground outside the return crease, which looks like an illegal delivery. But here's the twist — the third umpire didn’t call it a no-ball, and suddenly everyone turned into Sherlock Holmes.
Now, look at the second image — the one that actually tells the truth. It shows the first point of contact when Akash Deep’s back foot landed. Even if some part of the foot was outside the crease, it never touched the ground.
And yes, MCC clarified this too — the first point of contact with the ground is what matters. If that’s legal, then everything that happens later in the delivery stride is just background noise.
So, what’s the moral of the story? The initial contact with the ground is what determines legality. What happens after that? Doesn’t matter when it comes to calling a no-ball.
So, for everyone who just couldn’t digest the fact that a young Indian pacer made the world’s number one Test batter dance to his tunes, stop hunting for excuses. People will always say something, but let’s not try to rewrite the rulebook just because Akash Deep turned Root’s lights out.MCC full statement:“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," the MCC said in a statement.
“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."
“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. 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," the statement added.
