Joe Root was trying to save the match against India in their second Test, being played at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. He was clean bowled by a great delivery. Except the umpires made a grave mistake. They did not realise that it was a no-ball.
The bowler appears to have breached Law 21 of the MCC/ICC laws of cricket.
21.5 Fair delivery – the feet
For a delivery to be fair in respect of the feet, in the delivery stride
21.5.1 the bowler’s back foot must land within and not touching the return crease appertaining to his/her stated mode of delivery.
21.5.2 the bowler’s front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised
– on the same side of the imaginary line joining the two middle stumps as the return crease described in 21.5.1, and
– behind the popping crease.
If the bowler’s end umpire is not satisfied that all of these three conditions have been met, he/she shall call and signal No ball.
Root is by far England’s premier batsman, and if he had remained at the crease might just have helped England to survive the 90 overs due on the last day to create a draw.
The Indian commentator on the live Sky broadcast stated that the back foot, though it was at one point grounded behind the ‘return crease’, was allowed to be there because by the time his front foot has landed, the bowler’s heel had lifted and was not touching the return crease.
Except that is not what the Law appears to say.