R. Ashwin says difficult to bowl doosra legally

India off-spinner R. Ashwin reiterated his view that it is very difficult to bowl the doosra legally and pointed out Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was one of the few who was able to do it properly.

Published : Jun 10, 2021 21:11 IST

Saqlain Mushtaq was the only spinner who bowled a "legal doosra" during his playing days, feels India's spin spearhead Ravichandran Ashwin.

India off-spinner R. Ashwin reiterated his view that it is very difficult to bowl the doosra legally and pointed out Pakistani off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was one of the few who did it properly.

In a show on his YouTube channel, Ashwin was discussing the history of 'doosra' or the delivery bowled by an off-spinner that turns away from the right-handed batsman. Former South Africa team analyst Prasanna Agoram batted for relaxation in how much a bowler can bend his elbow to allow him to bowl the 'doosra'.

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However, the India off-spinner felt that allowing such relaxations will open a can of worms and is also unfair on cricketers who learn it the right way from a young age.

"If you can bowl it cleanly like Saqlain Mushtaq, then there is no issue. But you can do that only while bowling at a slower pace which allows the batsman to pick it easily," Ashwin added.