Doosra in Cricket — The Off-Spinner's Googly Explained
The doosra is an offspinner's secret weapon — it turns away from the right-hander like a leg break. Learn how it works, who bowls it, and why it's controversial.
What Is the Doosra?
'Doosra' is an Urdu/Hindi word meaning 'the other one' or 'the second one'. In bowling terms, it is a delivery by an off-break bowler that turns in the opposite direction to the standard off-break — turning away from the right-handed batter like a leg break, from an offspinner's hand. It is the offspinner's equivalent of the googly (a legspin bowler's wrong-un).
Who Invented the Doosra?
Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan is credited with inventing and naming the doosra in the late 1990s. He used it to devastating effect in ODIs, dismissing batters who assumed all his deliveries would turn into the right-hander. Harbhajan Singh and Muttiah Muralitharan later adapted similar variations.
How It Is Bowled
The standard off-break is bowled with fingers rotating from right to left (for a right-arm bowler), imparting clockwise spin that turns into the right-hander. The doosra reverses this: the fingers rotate left to right, imparting counter-clockwise spin. To achieve this without bending the arm excessively, the wrist must be rotated significantly — which is where the controversy arises.
Famous Doosra Bowlers
- Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan) — inventor; used it to take 288 ODI wickets.
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) — bowled a variation with unique wrist action due to his hyperextended elbow.
- Harbhajan Singh (India) — used the doosra prominently before being reported for action.
- Johan Botha (South Africa) — had his action cleared after modification.
Batting Against the Doosra
The doosra is most dangerous when the batter cannot pick it out of the hand. Reading the wrist position is key — the wrist rotates outward for a doosra rather than inward for an off-break. Playing it off the pitch (not committing too early) and using the crease (staying back) reduces the risk.
Frequently asked questions
Is the doosra legal?
Whether any given bowler's doosra is legal depends on their elbow extension during delivery. The ICC permits up to 15° of elbow extension (bend). Most doosras require more than this, so many bowlers have been reported for throwing. Those who can bowl it within the legal limit keep it in their arsenal.
What is the difference between a doosra and a googly?
Both turn away from the right-hander. A googly is bowled by a leg-break (wrist-spin) bowler — it is a legitimate wrist variation. A doosra is bowled by an off-break (finger-spin) bowler — it requires an unusual wrist and finger action that often pushes against the legal bowling action rules.