Now, the doosra version

Bruce Elliott, the bio-mechanics expert who tested Harbhajan at the University of Western Australia UWA last month has contradicted match ...

Bruce Elliott, the bio-mechanics expert who tested Harbhajan at the University of Western Australia UWA last month has contradicted match referee Chris Broad8217;s report on the off-spinner and given his doosra the green signal.

8216;8216;There was never really a problem with his off-breaks which were at around 8 degrees. His doosra though was around 12.5 degrees; much near the acceptable 15 degrees,8217;8217; Elliott told The Indian Express from Perth.

During the tests Elliott says, Harbhajan came with a new improved action that made both of them feel better and confident.

Elliott was one of the experts on the panel that suggested the new process whereby the maximum degree of tolerance was locked at 15. Elliott8217;s reaction comes just a day after the ICC sought to draw a fine line between being 8216;satisfied8217; and 8216;clear8217; about Harbhajan8217;s test last month.

Feeling sorry for Harbhajan who will have to undergo the whole process again, Elliott says that as per visual perspective and scientific procedure Bhajji8217;s doosra is 8216;okay8217;. Elliot said he was keenly watching the new numbers for Harbhajan8217;s doosra.

Elliott on his part admitted that there sometimes maybe a disconnecting line between the tests in a lab and in match conditions but felt it was the best way ahead. 8216;8216;That8217;s always a debate. If the bowler bowls at the same speed and the same body position and all the variables are under control then the tests are the way to go. You couldn8217;t always be a 100 per cent sure because of errors in measurement, but it is the best of the two lab and match.8217;8217;

Supporting Elliott8217;s assessment was former England fast bowler Angus Fraser who was part of an expert panel that suggested the new law of reviewing bowling actions.

Fraser told this paper that it was a big challenge to make sure any bowler bowls the same way in a lab as he would in a match-situation.

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8216;8216;It is however difficult because in match situations you are desperately trying to push your body for that extra pace, extra spin so some things can happen,8217;8217; Fraser says.

Harbhajan will now have to go through the new process that came into effect on March 1 and which Elliott admits is a 8216;8216;complicated8217;8217; one. For one of the authors of the process, Fraser, though this system is better than the earlier one because the review process is being 8216;8216;centrally handled8217;8217; by the ICC.

8216;8216;In the past the home board worked with players and whenever they felt satisfied the player would be back. But that didn8217;t seem the right way,8217;8217; says Fraser.