The Doosra in Cricket: The Off-Spinner's Secret Weapon
The doosra is the off-spinner's mystery delivery — it turns the opposite way to the stock ball. Learn what it is, how it is bowled, and the controversy surrounding its legality.
What Is the Doosra?
The doosra is a delivery bowled by an off-spinner that turns in the opposite direction to the stock off-break. Instead of turning from off to leg, the doosra turns from leg to off — like a leg-break — but is bowled with a seemingly identical off-spinner action. The word 'doosra' is Urdu/Hindi for 'the second one' or 'the other one'.
Who Invented the Doosra?
Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is credited with developing the doosra in the mid-1990s. He used it to devastating effect, trapping batters who played for his off-break and instead found the ball turning the other way. Harbhajan Singh, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Johan Botha later bowled variations of the delivery.
How Is It Bowled?
The doosra requires the bowler to supinate the wrist — rotating it so the back of the hand faces the batter at the point of release. This allows the finger-rotation to go the opposite way to an off-break, imparting leg-side spin. The challenge is disguising this wrist rotation so it looks like a standard off-break delivery.
The Legality Controversy
- The ICC allows a maximum 15-degree elbow flex during the bowling action — beyond this is considered throwing
- Multiple studies found that producing a doosra requires approximately 20–25 degrees of elbow flex
- Several high-profile bowlers have been reported for suspected illegal actions
- Some believe a genuinely legal doosra cannot be bowled at all — the geometry of wrist rotation requires elbow bending
- Despite controversy, the delivery is still considered legal unless specifically flagged by officials
Frequently asked questions
Is the doosra the same as the googly?
No. The googly is bowled by a leg-spinner — it is the leg-spinner's mystery ball that turns the opposite way to their stock delivery. The doosra is the off-spinner's equivalent — turning the opposite way to the off-break. They achieve similar results but from different bowling styles.
Can any off-spinner bowl a doosra?
Very few off-spinners bowl a credible doosra. The mechanical demands are high, and legality concerns have deterred many. Most off-spinners rely on the arm ball as their primary 'other' delivery instead.
Why didn't the doosra disappear after the controversy?
Because no regulatory body has banned it outright, and proving an illegal action requires official measurement with biomechanical equipment. Unless a bowler is officially reported and tested, they can continue bowling what they describe as a doosra.