The doosra is spin bowling’s great mystery ball — a delivery that looks like a normal off-break but spins the other way, leaving batters completely deceived.
What Is Doosra in Cricket?
The doosra (Urdu/Hindi for “the second one”) is bowled by an off-spin bowler but spins away from the right-handed batter — the opposite of a normal off-break, which spins into the batter.
It is the off-spinner’s answer to the leg-spinner’s googly: both are disguised balls that turn the “wrong” way.
Googly vs Doosra: The Difference
This confuses many fans, so here is the simple breakdown:
- Googly — bowled by a leg-spinner; looks like a leg-break but spins the other way (into the right-hander)
- Doosra — bowled by an off-spinner; looks like an off-break but spins the other way (away from the right-hander)
In short: googly belongs to leg-spin, doosra belongs to off-spin. Both deceive by turning opposite to expectations.
How to Bowl a Doosra
The doosra is notoriously difficult to master:
- The bowler uses the same action as a normal off-break to disguise it
- At release, the wrist and fingers work differently to spin the ball away instead of in
- It demands exceptional wrist flexibility and finger strength
- Many bowlers have been reported for suspect actions while attempting it, since the extra wrist work can straighten the arm beyond the legal limit
Famous Doosra Bowlers
- Saqlain Mushtaq — the inventor of the doosra, who unveiled it in the late 1990s
- Muttiah Muralitharan — mastered it and took 800 Test wickets with his variations
- Harbhajan Singh — India’s great off-spinner used it effectively
- Saeed Ajmal — his doosra made him the world’s top-ranked ODI bowler in the early 2010s
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who invented the doosra?
Pakistan’s Saqlain Mushtaq is credited with inventing and first bowling the doosra in international cricket in the late 1990s.
What is the difference between doosra and googly?
A googly is bowled by a leg-spinner and turns the opposite way to a leg-break; a doosra is bowled by an off-spinner and turns the opposite way to an off-break.
Is the doosra legal?
Yes, as long as the bowler’s arm does not straighten more than 15 degrees during delivery. Several bowlers have been reported while bowling it, but the delivery itself is legal.
Why is the doosra so hard to bowl?
It requires the bowler to disguise a completely different wrist position while keeping the same bowling action — extreme skill that few master.
Final Summary
The doosra remains one of cricket’s most beautiful deceptions — an off-spinner’s ball that refuses to behave like one. From Saqlain’s invention to Murali’s mastery, it has embarrassed the world’s best batters and remains the ultimate weapon in a finger-spinner’s armoury.
Green Benn is a dedicated sports writer specializing in cricket, including IPL and international formats. Known for clear, engaging, and informative content, Green simplifies complex match analysis and player statistics for all readers. Passionate about sports storytelling, Green delivers reliable, SEO-friendly articles that keep fans updated and informed
