The Doosra in Cricket: The Off-Spinner's Secret Weapon Explained
The doosra is an off-spin delivery that turns the opposite way — like a leg-spinner's googly, but bowled by an off-spinner. Learn how it's bowled, why it causes controversy over bowling actions, and which bowlers mastered it.
The doosra — Urdu and Hindi for 'the other one' — is a delivery bowled by an off-spin bowler that turns in the opposite direction to the conventional off-break. Where a standard off-break turns from off to leg for a right-handed batter, the doosra turns away towards the off side, mimicking a leg-spinner's delivery.
How the Doosra Is Bowled
The conventional off-break uses the index and middle finger to impart clockwise spin (for a right-arm bowler) so the ball turns into the right-hander. The doosra requires the bowler to flick their wrist in the opposite direction — rotating the ball anti-clockwise. This is biomechanically very difficult to do without bending the elbow beyond the legal 15-degree limit, which is why many doosras have been scrutinised by the ICC for illegal bowling actions.
Why It's So Effective
- Looks identical to the off-break in the bowler's hand until the moment of release
- Right-handed batters playing for turn into leg side are beaten going away from them
- Left-handed batters who expect the off-break to turn away are surprised by the ball coming in
- Can take both edges: the off-break gets the inside edge; the doosra gets the outside edge
- Works as a change-up delivery even if it doesn't take a wicket — plants doubt in the batter's mind
Bowling Action Controversy
The doosra is genuinely difficult to bowl with a legal arm action. The ICC's 15-degree elbow-straightening limit exists because extending the elbow allows the wrist to rotate further. Multiple elite off-spinners have been reported for illegal actions when bowling the doosra — including Saeed Ajmal, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Johan Botha. Muralitharan's bowl was cleared by biomechanical testing that showed his unusual natural arm condition.
Doosra vs Carrom Ball vs Teesra
| Delivery | Bowled By | How It Turns |
|---|---|---|
| Doosra | Off-spin bowler | Away from right-hander (like leg-spin) |
| Carrom ball | Any spinner | Flicked from middle finger — variable direction |
| Teesra | Variant of doosra | Claimed to go straight — extremely rare |
| Googly | Leg-spin bowler | Into right-hander (opposite to leg-break) |
Frequently asked questions
What is a doosra in cricket?
A doosra is a delivery bowled by an off-spinner that turns away from the right-handed batter — the opposite direction to the standard off-break. It is the off-spinner's equivalent of the leg-spinner's googly.
Who invented the doosra?
Saqlain Mushtaq of Pakistan is credited with developing and popularising the doosra in international cricket in the late 1990s. The word 'doosra' itself comes from Urdu/Hindi, meaning 'the other one'.
Why is the doosra controversial?
The doosra requires the bowler's wrist to rotate in an unusual direction, which many find impossible to achieve without bending the elbow beyond the ICC's legal 15-degree limit. Several bowlers have been reported for illegal actions specifically when bowling the doosra.