The doosra ball is delivered by an off-spinner in cricket and is a mystery delivery that spins in the opposite direction to an off-break, which is an off-spinner’s default delivery. As a result, the batsman is left confused and fails to judge the trajectory of the ball.
The doosra ball has had an interesting and fascinating journey in international cricket. From being invented and developed by Pakistani spinners Prince Aslam Khan and Saqlain Mushtaq, to being the cause of bans, chucking as well as several ICC rule amendments, it has seen its fair share of highs and lows.
At one point, it was an interesting tool in the armoury of most off-spinners. However, today it has become quite rare. Without further ado, let’s delve deeper into it:
What is the doosra ball and how is it bowled?
The doosra ball is a deceiving delivery bowled by an off-spin bowler. Instead of turning in the traditional manner, from off stump to leg stump for a right-handed batsman, the doosra delivery spins from the leg side to the off side. It seems to be an off-spin ball but it turns out to be a leg spin delivery. A subtle change is involved in the usual delivery process which makes it hard for the batter to read and anticipate it beforehand.
The word ‘doosra’ means second in Urdu and Hindi. Since it is the off spinner’s second delivery compared to the usual off-break, it is called doosra.
The entire differentiating element for spin bowlers is surprise and since the doosra is a surprise delivery, it is very important the bowling action cannot be read and judged beforehand. At the time of the release of the delivery, the back of the bowler’s hand should face towards square leg and the fingers hold the ball in a similar manner to the off-break
Much of the bowling action for a doosra involves the same as a regular off-break delivery. The wrist action is more or less the same as the wrist is locked and the index and ring fingers are used instead of the usual index and middle fingers where the middle finger is normally used to impart spin. When the centre finger is gripped towards the leg side, the ball spins from leg to off; when the centre finger is gripped towards the off side, the ball spins from off to leg.
In order to make the doosra ball more effective, the ball should be pitched on the line of the middle and off stump because it will result in the ball spin away from the right-handed batsman after pitching. However, in order to accommodate for extra turn on the wicket, sometimes a bowler may have to adjust his line to the middle and leg stump.
The best bowlers of the doosra also provide a little flight to the ball in order to invite the batter into attacking the delivery by stepping out of his crease. That is when the doosra spins away from him and he is either stumped by the wicket-keeper or only manages to edge the ball for a catch to the fielder.
History and origin of the doosra ball
In the history of spin bowling, the doosra is a relatively new type of delivery which has originated quite recently. The delivery is said to be invented by former Pakistani cricketer Prince Aslam Khan but was popularised in international cricket by Saqlain Mushtaq.
The name of the delivery is actually attributed to former Pakistani wicketkeeper Moin Khan who would ask Saqlain Mushtaq to bowl his ‘doosra’ from behind the stumps. Tony Greig, who was commentating on one of Pakistan’s matches eventually ended up linking the word ‘doosra’ to the delivery after confirming it with Mushtaq in a post-match interview and thus, the word stuck in cricketing culture. The doosra delivery has now become an almost indispensable tool in the armoury of off-spinners.
What is the difference between a doosra ball and a googly?
The doosra is actually the off-spinner’s equivalent of a googly in the sense that it spins in the opposite direction to the regular stock delivery. The primary difference between a doosra and a googly is the fact that a googly is bowled by a leg-spinner and the ball spins from left to right. Meanwhile, the doosra is delivered by an off-spinner and the ball turns from right to left. The doosra is relatively newer compared to googly and is said to be more difficult to master.
Doosra ball: Top 5 list
| Bowler | Country | Career Span | International matches | International wickets |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 1992-2011 | 495 | 1347 |
| Harbhajan Singh | India | 1998-2016 | 367 | 711 |
| Saqlain Mushtaq | Pakistan | 1995-2004 | 218 | 496 |
| Shoaib Malik | Pakistan | 1999-present | 446 | 218 |
| Johan Botha | South Africa | 2005-2012 | 123 | 126 |
