The Doosra — Cricket's Most Controversial Spin Variation
Learn what the doosra is, how an off-spinner bowls it to turn away from the right-hander, why it has triggered bowling-action controversies, and who bowls it best.
What is the doosra?
The doosra — Urdu for 'the other one' or 'the second one' — is a delivery bowled by an off-spin bowler (who normally turns the ball into a right-handed batter) that instead turns away from the right-hander, in the same direction as a leg-break. It is delivered with what appears to be an off-break action, making it almost impossible for batters to read out of the hand. Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan is credited with developing and popularising the doosra in the late 1990s.
How it works
A conventional off-break is bowled with the index finger imparting spin from left to right (for a right-arm bowler), causing the ball to turn into a right-hander. The doosra requires the same action but with the wrist rolling over in the opposite direction — spinning the ball right to left — so it turns away. The difficulty is that producing this effect with a legal bowling action (elbow extension under 15 degrees) is biomechanically extremely challenging, which is why the delivery has been associated with suspect bowling actions.
The bowling-action controversy
The 15-degree elbow extension rule was introduced to protect bowlers from the strict 'straight arm' requirement that had previously caused controversy around Muralitharan. However, even with 15 degrees of permitted flexion, biomechanical researchers have found that most bowlers cannot produce a genuine doosra without exceeding this limit. Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal had his action suspended in 2014 after lab testing showed his doosra — and other deliveries — exceeded the permitted flex. He was never the same bowler after the corrective process.
Legacy and alternatives
The doosra's controversies have led many coaches to discourage young off-spinners from attempting it — the risk of a bowling-action report is career-threatening. Instead, off-spinners are encouraged to develop the carrom ball, the arm ball, or a slower flipper as their primary variation. Nonetheless, the concept of the doosra has expanded what batters must watch for against off-spin, permanently changing how the game is analysed and prepared for at the international level.