What is the highest number of no-balls ever bowled in a Test match?

India bowled a staggering 25 no-balls against England in the first Test in Chennai. However, this number is not even close to the highest number of no-balls delivered in a Test match.

Believe it or not, the record for most no-balls in the longest format is a whopping 103. This was achieved in a 1977 Test between West Indies and Pakistan in Bridgetown, Barbados. The two teams together conceded 173 extra runs in 395.2 overs.

West Indies were a part of the top five games of this list which goes as - 103, 90, 81,79 and 78 no-balls. More interestingly, Bridgetown hosted four out of these five encounters.

West Indies also made the top-two in the repertoire of most no-balls bowled in an innings. However, the culprits in these games were Australia and England, who each bowled 40 no-balls in 1986 and 1989 respectively.

The most no-balls in a Test match involving India is 65, which came in 2004 against Australia in Sydney. Indian bowlers have delivered a maximum of 34 false balls in a single dig that came against the West Indies in Delhi in 1979.

Twitterati flays Indian bowlers for incessant no-balls against England

Ravichandran Ashwin

In the ongoing Test match, India have bowled the most no-balls in the last 10 years. Even Ravichandran Ashwin, who held the feat of going through the most number of Tests without overstepping (75), bowled a no-ball on Monday.

There are three possible reasons behind this precipitous surge in no-balls. For one, the scope of errors from on-field umpires has decreased as the third umpire now checks every ball for overstepping.

Secondly, players like Ishant Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem, who have overstepped the most in Chennai, haven't had much practice of late. A third school of thought says the Indians have been careless about the issue in the nets.

Whatever may be the reason, the massive number of no-balls haven't hurt the hosts yet but could do so in the future. Until then, Netizens weren't happy with the dismal show by the Indians and the following are the best of the reactions on Twitter.

Shahbaz Nadeem Has Bowled Nine No Balls In This Match ! 1 Cr Per No Ball Is What He Earned !#INDvENG

— Rahul Choudhary (@rahulofficial3) February 8, 2021

Shahbaz Nadeem has bowled nine no balls in this match, the most by an Indian spinner since Amit Mishra against England at Edgbaston in 2011. #IndvEng

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) February 8, 2021

#EngvsInd #INDvENGKohli and Indian fans to bowlers on their no balls. pic.twitter.com/kJhNxMopyG

— UNINTENTIONALLY EPIC 💡 (@imAditya_pandey) February 8, 2021

Marnus: NO RUNIndian Bowlers: NO BALL#INDvENG

— Yash Gosalia (@yash_gosalia) February 8, 2021

Bharat Arun and Ravi Sastri to Indian Bowlers :- #INDvENG #NoBall pic.twitter.com/hl56jLQorK

— অভিJit (@AvijitEmmi) February 8, 2021

Can @RaviShastriOfc and @imVkohli penalize each no ball as 1% match fee for quicks, and 2% match fee for spinners?! At least an explanation for how would do - awaiting press conference! #INDvENG

— Prayas Malhotra (@prayas04) February 8, 2021

Indian Fans after seeing so many no balls.......#INDvsENG #cricket #TeamIndia#IndianCricketTeam #Nadeem #Root #StarSports #starsportsindia #AskStar #INDvENG #noball #NK23 pic.twitter.com/CVt9iaibAo

— Navneet Kushwaha (@NavneetK23) February 8, 2021

Nadeem proved you can have a minus score as a batsman. He scored -6 in first innings, if you consider the No Balls he had gifted. Now he already owes 1 in 2nd innings, if the need arises#INDvENG #INDvsENG @StarSportsIndia @sanjaymanjrekar

— Ambika (@apmahapatra) February 8, 2021

looks like india have decided to score a half century with no balls to add on to englands total. @cricbuzz #INDvENG

— muneer (@MuneerTaufeeq) February 8, 2021

Are we watching international cricket ?? Ohhhh come on- we doesn’t even bowl these many NO balls in gully cricket too. RIDICULOUS #INDvENG @BCCI @cricbuzz

— Sudip Maji (@cool_msudip) February 8, 2021