Watch: The Backfoot No-Ball Rule During Root’s Dismissal That Led to a Deep Controversy!
Akashdeep's backfoot crossed the return crease on the delivery he bowled Root out. But the Initial landing was inside the line, which made it a legal delivery
The dismissal of Joe Root by Akashdeep sparked a fresh debate in the cricketing world — was it fair or a no-ball? The visual showed the bowler’s back foot outside the return crease during his follow-through, leading many to question why no intervention came from the third umpire, especially after recent IPL controversies around back-foot no-balls.
However, MCC has clarified: the delivery was completely fair. To understand why, let’s turn to the law.
According to Law 21.5.1 of the MCC rulebook, the bowler’s back foot at the point of landing must be within the return crease. The key word here is “landing” — not follow-through. Even if the foot moves outside later, as long as it lands correctly, it’s legal.
“The bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery,” states the law 21.5.1.
In Akashdeep’s case, the foot landed just inside the line, making it a legitimate, skillful delivery. The rest — optics, movement, and aftermath — don’t matter legally.
So, was Root out? Absolutely yes. Was it a no-ball? Absolutely not.
What looked controversial was, in fact, a masterclass in accuracy from India’s rising fast-bowling star. Watch the video above to gain a better understanding of Law 21.5.1.
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