Doosra Dossier

THE QUESTIONCan Bhajji bowl the doosra?8226; While the ICC has effectively allowed Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl his doosra, can Harbhajan S...

THE QUESTION

Can Bhajji bowl the doosra?

8226; While the ICC has effectively allowed Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl his doosra, can Harbhajan Singh expect the same? In the complex world of 8216;chucking8217; there are no straight answers.

The ICC committee 8212; Aravinda de Silva, Angus Fraser, Michael Holding, Tony Lewis, Tim May and David Richardson 8212; has suggested a leeway of 15 degrees for spinners to bend their elbow. Biomechanical tests and ICC scrutiny during the Champions Trophy showed that Murali bent his elbow at 14.5 degrees, so Murali8217;s doosra is almost legal.

Harbhajan hasn8217;t been through those tests but apparently his 8216;wrong 8217;un8217; measures about 22 degrees. So that8217;s over the legal limit, even when the more liberal laws come into effect.

THE HISTORY

8226; Like that other exotic bowling art, the reverse swing, the origins of the doosra can be traced to the bylanes of Pakistan, where cricket is played with a tennis ball strapped with electric tape. With his regular off-spinners not quite effective against the neighbourhood kids in the Lahore backstreets, Saqlain Mushtaq invented the doosra.

The world came to know about the off-spinner8217;s googly during the 1999 Pakistan-Australia second Test at Hobart. Saqlain 6/46 ran through the Aussies and, at the post-match media conference, was asked about the mystery ball. Unusually tongue-tied, Saqlain gave a straight reply: 8216;8216;I call it the doosra8217;8217;.

8226; Two years after Saqlain gave off-spin a new dimension, a young bowler was making his comeback 8212; after sitting out nine straight Tests 8212; against world champions Australia.

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Raising his game to suit the opposition, Harbhajan Singh showed the first signs of bowling the away-going ball. That historic 2001 series saw world cricket getting another new term: Turbanator. Later he said that the inspiration wasn8217;t Saqlain but Sachin Tendulkar. 8216;8216;At nets Tendulkar taught me to bowl the doosra with the new ball,8217;8217; he said.

8226; Muttiah Muralitharan had been sparingly using the doosra for some years but earlier this year, during the home series against Australia, the away-going ball was seen more often. Indeed, there were times when the regular off-spinner was bowled for variety. The Aussies won the series 3-0 but Murali got 28 wickets 8212; and also a call from the ICC.

8226; What Mushtaq Ahmed was to Abdul Qadir, Shoaib Malik is to Saqlain Mushtaq. Both offies have similar styles, so it was expected that Shoaib too would master the Saqlain doosra. Early 2000 saw Shoaib regularly bowling the doosra but without much effect. It was only his batting that kept him in the team. But even that indifferent bowling was enough to get him reported for chucking!

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More