Joe Root’s early dismissal on Day 4 of the second Test against India may have sparked a debate that’s flying under the radar was Akash Deep’s delivery actually legal?
In the 11th over of England’s second innings in Edgbaston, Akash Deep served up a beauty that smashed into Root’s stumps, and the star batter was sent packing for a mere 6 runs off 16 deliveries. It left England tottering at 50/3 in a humongous chase of 608, and they finally concluded the day at 72/3.
Was it a legal delivery by Akash Deep that got Joe Root out?
— Rashpinder Brar (@RashpinderBrar3) July 5, 2025
#INDvsENGTest pic.twitter.com/pHpy6u0t8K
But long after Root’s wicket had fallen and play had progressed, eagle-eyed BBC Test Match Special commentator Alison Mitchell spotted something unusual on a replay. Commenting on the delivery in question, Mitchell noted that Akash Deep’s back foot had seemingly come down short of the return crease – a possible back-foot no-ball.
“The delivery from Akash Deep which we described as being wide of the crease his foot on the back crease is out. Looks like by about two inches. Perhaps more. But well over. Not picked up!” Mitchell observed, raising eyebrows across fans and commentators alike.
So what is actually a back-foot no-ball and why does it matter?
Akash Deep was that wide of the crease to create an angle to Joe Root; his backfoot was over the line and almost touched it! #ENGvsIND pic.twitter.com/vPwYTQuAFh
— Saifullah Bin Anowar (@sbanowar44) July 5, 2025
Exploring the Back-Foot No-Ball
In cricket, all fans are aware of the front-foot no-ball: when the front foot of the bowler comes down over the popping crease. There is a less well-known rule relating to the back foot and it is just as important.
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Under Law 21.5 of the MCC Laws of Cricket:
21.5.1: The back foot of the bowler has to come down within and not even touch the return crease on the delivery stride.
21.5.2: The front foot has to land behind the popping crease, and within the return crease.
The return creases are the small vertical white marks that are perpendicular to the popping crease on either side of the wicket. In other words, if the back foot of the bowler lands beyond those lines while delivering the ball, it’s a back-foot no-ball and the delivery should be declared illegal.
While uncommon in relation to front-foot breaches, back-foot no-balls do happen and have traditionally been difficult to detect in the heat of the moment. In contrast to front-foot offences, which are now routinely tracked by technology in most games, back-foot no-balls tend to depend on the human eye and can be overlooked.
So, Was It a No-Ball?
According to Mitchell’s observation, Akash Deep’s back foot seemed to come down well outside the return crease potentially by two inches or so. If that is the case, then that should have been called a no-ball and Root’s dismissal reversed.
Up until now, there has been no word or review of the incident yet, and Root is still out in the scorebooks. But the debate surrounding back-foot no-balls has begun again, particularly as technology is available but not always being used to look out for such breaches.
It is noteworthy that there have been occasions when bowlers moved the front foot over the return crease as has happened to Ravichandran Ashwin during the IPL and gone unpunished, since only the back foot is under that particular ban.
With England looking at an implausible target and India in charge, this incident is not likely to alter the result of the match. But it does pose a fair question: Should back-foot no-balls be automatically checked, as front-foot ones are?
For the moment, Root’s dismissal remains but the lawbook and the replay offer a more complex narrative.
