Description

• The doosra, which means the "other" or "second" in Urdu and Hindi, moves away from right-handed batters, and into the pads of left-handed batsmen. It is bowled from the back of the hand with plenty of top-spin with the wrist moving in a clockwise direction. To simplify it, it is regarded as the off-spinner's equivalent of a googly.
  
  

Bowlers

• With the doosra proving difficult to recognize for opposing batsman, it has become an increasingly popular delivery for off-spinners. Bowlers such as Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Malik and Johan Botha have used the doosra in their careers.
  
  

Controversy

• The doosra has provoked a lot of controversy, none more so than in the case of Muralitharan. In 2004, Test cricket's leading wicket-taker was told he would be reported by umpires and face a suspension if he continued to bowl the doosra. Subsequently, the International Cricket Council relaxed restrictions on how much a bowler could bend his arm during his delivery.