Akash Deep wins Joe Root controversial dismissal debate; fans hail India pacer for ‘DOTY’ at IND vs ENG Edgbaston Test

Akash Deep has been the talk of the town ever since he dismissed England’s Joe Root with a peach of a delivery on Saturday in the ongoing second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Bowling wide of the crease, Akash Deep pitched the attacking full length delivery that nipped in, beating the outside edge of Root’s bat and leading the former England captain’s stumps disturbed. Root was dismissed for just six runs.

While Akash Deep was hailed by most in the cricket fraternity, Australian cricket commentator Alison Mitchell spiced up the delivery as ‘illegal’, creating an unnecessary controversy in the process. “The delivery from Akash Deep – which we said was wide off the crease – his foot on the back crease is out. Looks like by about two inches.

“Maybe a little bit more. But comfortably. So his back foot, which needs to land within the line, just taps about two inches over the line. Not picked up!” Mitchell said while commentating for BBC TMS.

Irfan Pathan clears air on Akash’s ‘illegal’ delivery

However, Mitchell’s logic was simply quashed with an explanation from former India cricketer Irfan Pathan, who detailed why Akash Deep’s delivery that dismissed Root was completely legal.

With a frame-by-frame explanation, Pathan explained that since Akash Deep’s point of contact was inside the return crease, hence it was deemed legal by the umpires. Had Akash Deep’s back-foot landed on the line or outside the return crease, it would have been a definite no-ball.

Did Akash Deep bowl a ‘Delivery of the Year?’

While the Bengal pacer is fighting for his country in the United Kingdom, fans hailed Akash Deep, calling it a Delivery of the Year (DOTY).