Ravindra Jadeja’s 88 no-balls since 2021: Most by any Test spinner

Ravindra Jadeja has bowled 88 no-balls in Test cricket since 2021, the most by any spinner in that period. The India all-rounder extended that tally during the ongoing series against Sri Lanka, underlining a persistent discipline issue that has followed him across several seasons.

The latest additions came in the second Test against Sri Lanka, where Jadeja bowled 3 no-balls in the first innings and 1 in the second innings. In the first Test of the same series, he had bowled 2 no-balls in the first innings and 2 in the second innings, meaning he delivered 8 no-balls across the four innings of the two Tests combined.

One of those deliveries in the first Test second innings gave Dhananjaya de Silva a lifeline, illustrating the direct cost such errors can carry in a closely contested match. Jadeja also reached 350 Test wickets during the ongoing Sri Lanka series, making the no-ball record a notable contrast to an otherwise significant personal milestone.

How does Jadeja’s tally compare with other spinners?

The gap between Jadeja and the rest of the list is considerable. Pakistan’s Noman Ali is second among spinners with 40 no-balls in Tests since 2021, less than half of Jadeja’s 88. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Embuldeniya is third with 33 no-balls in the same period.

England’s Jack Leach has bowled 19 no-balls in Tests since 2021, while West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican and Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan have each bowled 17. The five bowlers below Jadeja on the list have a combined tally of 126 no-balls, only 38 more than Jadeja alone.

Most No Balls Since 2021

The figures place Jadeja in a category of his own among frontline Test spinners when it comes to overstepping, and the Sri Lanka series has added further to a record that already stood well clear of the field before this tour began.

What is the significance of Jadeja’s no-ball problem in Test cricket?

Spinners are generally expected to have better control over their front-foot landing than pace bowlers, given their slower run-ups and more measured delivery strides. Jadeja’s tally of 88 since 2021 is therefore an outlier by the standards of his own bowling type, and the frequency with which he has overstepped suggests a recurring technical issue rather than an isolated lapse.

The fact that Noman Ali, the second-placed spinner, has 40 no-balls in the same window shows that overstepping is not unique to Jadeja, but the scale of the difference remains striking. With the Sri Lanka series still ongoing as of writing, Jadeja’s final tally for this tour is yet to be confirmed.

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