‘Doosra’ impossible to bowl without bending arm: Ashwin
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NEW DELHI: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is adding a surprise leg-break to his already formidable bag of tricks but is convinced that the controversial 'doosra' cannot be bowled with a straight arm.
The 29-year-old is basking in the glory of a stellar year in which he won back-to-back man-of-the-series awards after spinning India to Test series victories in Sri Lanka and at home against South Africa.
A slow bowler with a penchant for targeting the opposition's best batsman, his 'carrom' ball has outfoxed the best players of spin, including talismanic South African AB de Villiers.
Ashwin wants to add more variety to his craft and sees nothing wrong in an off-spinner bowling an occasional leg-break.
“I always keep trying things,” the spinner told Times of India newspaper.
“I feel if a batsman can play a reverse sweep, I can also bowl leg-break.
“With that thought, I have been trying the leg-break and I think I have mastered it now. But I will be sure when I unleash one in a match situation and take the top of off-stump.
“The next one is probably the googly and the flipper, but I haven't tried those,” said the spinner, whose early success in the 20-over format earned him a one-day call-up before he established himself as India's main strike bowler in Tests.
Ashwin has wreaked havoc on South Asia's spin-friendly tracks in the last six months, claiming 57 wickets in the eight Tests he played at an average of 14.38.
While quite a few of them came from his carrom ball, Ashwin never had to bowl a 'doosra' — the controversial delivery that spins the other way — which has led to suspensions of several off-spinners from the region.
“Carrom ball is a proper knuckle ball and it can't be bowled with an offspinner's grip,” Ashwin said.
“It is a finger-spinning ball and you don't use the wrist or elbow to bowl it it's like a legal leg-break. But I don't think the doosra can be bowled without bending your arm, may be the topspinner but not the doosra,” he added.
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Comments (64) Closed
Dec 31, 2015 12:13pm
Ask Saqlian .
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Dec 31, 2015 12:14pm
"But I don't think the doosra can be bowled without bending your arm, may be the topspinner but not the doosra,”
That is not correct. Saqlain Mushtaq, the inventor, has proved that 'doosra ' can be bowled legally. He has never been called for bending his arm while bowling 'doosra'. Just as not every right arm leg spinner can bowl a googly, not every off-spinner can bowl 'doosra'. Those who can not come up with statements that create controversy to hide their own short comings. Ashwin's assertion can be put in that category.
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Dec 31, 2015 12:19pm
he is a man of magic
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Dec 31, 2015 12:33pm
They guy who invented Dosra, never bent his arm. I think his name was Saqlain Mushtaq
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Dec 31, 2015 12:35pm
look who's talking.
Test him and harbajan today and you will see.
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Dec 31, 2015 12:41pm
Wow, an obvious chucker is making such comments.
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Dec 31, 2015 12:50pm
Then Saqlain Mushtaq used to bowl 'Doosra' !!!
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Dec 31, 2015 01:03pm
He's still a kid in front of junior Pakistani bowlers
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Dec 31, 2015 01:05pm
"‘Doosra’ impossible to bowl without bending arm: Ashwin"
Ban it completely and strip Muralitharan of his 800 Test wickets as being inadmissible.
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Dec 31, 2015 01:12pm
You cannot...even trying with bending your everything,
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Dec 31, 2015 01:18pm
Watch the videos of the pioneer of the doosra, Saqlain Mushtaq and you will know that it can be bowled without straightening of the elbow. The fact that no other bowler has bowled it with a clean action is a testament to the skill level of the great man
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Dec 31, 2015 01:27pm
@Jawad
'He's still a kid in front of junior Pakistani bowlers'
Try telling that to AB Devilliers , he knows cricket and Ashwin a bit than you do and he has acknowledged it.
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Dec 31, 2015 01:27pm
He should be given life ban because of his chucking. Cant believe ICC allowed him till now
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Dec 31, 2015 02:00pm
This has already been said by none other than Bishan Singh Bedi in the past. Unfortunately instead of stopping people bowling such delivery, ICC itself allowed by bending its rule(15 degree). Some of the bowlers who bowled 'doosra' greatly benefited from the rule. Additionally, there was lax scrutiny in the past so some of the bowlers simply got away and took many a number of wickets.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:05pm
@ashwin. Please ask saqlain.
Average spinner like ashwin needs to do his homework first.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:06pm
better to ask Great Saqlian,
a real hero of his time.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:20pm
He and Harbajan Singh bowl with a bent arm. However, no umpire wants to ruin his umpiring career by reporting Indian spinners, as India controls the ICC.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:26pm
Ashwin seems to have touched a raw nerve.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:36pm
well now ICC will surely change rules for spinner to give ashwin some leverage or else he might be reported now after this disclosure...
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Dec 31, 2015 02:39pm
Ashwin a legend in the making, Kudos to BCCI for such an amazing talent.
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Dec 31, 2015 02:54pm
Saqlain did it!
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Dec 31, 2015 03:01pm
he is wrong. he does not know about Saqlain.
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Dec 31, 2015 03:27pm
He is a shear talent... respect from Pak
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Dec 31, 2015 03:41pm
He's the number 1 bowler in this year's test ranking! To those who feel he has a problem with his action should tell their board to fix their internal problems first.
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Dec 31, 2015 03:43pm
Experience dear u need to learn more... Check with squlain ... Arm angle is fraud by cricket board
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Dec 31, 2015 03:51pm
“I feel if a batsman can play a reverse sweep, I can also bowl leg-break."
Simple and brilliant.
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Dec 31, 2015 04:02pm
Average bowler
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Dec 31, 2015 04:17pm
Ashwin is the only off spinner in the world who wears half sleeves. Do anybody have guts to do that...
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Dec 31, 2015 04:21pm
A pathetic wimp of bowler talking about dosra. If you cannot bowl it just admit it rather than giving sweeping comments that it cannot be bowled without bending your arm. Little kiddoo learn to bowl first . Its amazing a below average bowler is commenting on techniques of bowling.
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Dec 31, 2015 04:32pm
Mr Ashwin is portraying that he don't bend the arm... what a joke..
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Dec 31, 2015 05:39pm
B/c ashwin can not bowl doosra
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Dec 31, 2015 05:59pm
Remember India pak WC 2015... When Harris Sohail had just picked up the Rhythm..who spoiled it with a beautiful spin delivery...He can easily rain on oppositions parade..let me also tell yu This guy can also bat extremely well.. Tell me an off spinner who has his batting abilities...the most important thing that I like in him is he is a continuous learner...
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Dec 31, 2015 06:12pm
to all those who calling ashwin average better compare his stats with your favorite spin bowler .donot forget top spinner of world the quadraplet era was of India .
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Dec 31, 2015 06:12pm
Even in fast bowler I think marshel holding garner ambrose cotney walsh had very clean action compare to lee malinga and akhter
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Dec 31, 2015 06:22pm
I still remembering the towering sixer by Boom Boom Afridi in the lost ball win. Ashwin had absolutely no clue to contain Afridi.
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Dec 31, 2015 06:30pm
God knows which planet is he living. Ajmals remodelled doosra has been cleared by ICC so it is possible but perfection comes with practise.
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Dec 31, 2015 06:31pm
Ashwin has the best and legal action for a off spinner. I never saw him bowling in full sleeves to hide his elbow. He is a proper finger spinner who has a lot of variations. He is India's best IPL discovery alongside Rehane. He can be hit for runs when someone goes after him but he bowls legally for sure.
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Dec 31, 2015 06:46pm
good narration... Best story... just one passage for Ashwin is enough.
"A slow bowler with a penchant for targeting the opposition's best batsman, his 'carrom' ball has outfoxed the best players of spin, including talismanic South African AB de Villiers." Wow!! what a glory!!
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Dec 31, 2015 06:51pm
Useless and most unathletic sportsman. Hes been bowling on dust bowls and underprepared pitches for which India was recently fined.
Outside of India , he remains a toothlesss tiger, yet such is the state of bowling in India that he is feted like the next star bowler .
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Dec 31, 2015 06:56pm
@sportlover
correctly said. he's also a good batsman. he was an opener for Tamilnadu 'Ranaji trophy team'.
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Dec 31, 2015 07:14pm
Only time Ashwin gets wicket when India makes worst test pitches and only Indians can watch these matches because it's so boring. As far as Doosra the whole world knows Saqlian Musthaq bowled thru all his career without bending anything and without getting any help from pitches.
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Dec 31, 2015 07:50pm
Saqlain did not play in the despicable era of BIG 3, if he had he would have been banned for having a suspicion action anyways, as for Ashwin u can bend it as much as you want.
before big 3 rule was only non White folks can have a suspicious action
Now anyone other than big 3 can have a suspicious action
Keep on chucking Ashwin Peace
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Dec 31, 2015 07:52pm
@asgher . he is the only spinner who has guts to bowl with short sleeves. call him whatever but this man is not a chucker.
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Dec 31, 2015 08:30pm
@Abdulla Hussain what afridi. Played nearly 400 odi with a meagre average of 20.
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Dec 31, 2015 08:36pm
Really!
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Dec 31, 2015 09:05pm
@Sarai Alamgir proove it that he is a chucker. I cannot just accuse anyone without proof and icc is also ok with him.he is the only spinner that plays wearing half sleeve shirt..
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Dec 31, 2015 09:45pm
I seriously fail to understand why ppl dout ashwin ability..he's been top class..ask Ab and sanga..guess they are eligible according to u haters!!
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Dec 31, 2015 09:46pm
@Frankenstein
Saqlian was playing when the rules are not so tough but these time some bowling rules have been changed so if Saqlen play at this moment then he will be banned on Doosra. Because clearly his hand is not properly rounding & some times he was just through the ball not bowing properly. In indian desi language we called this Jark ball or Through ball or pathar phekna. not the bowling. every time when we were watching matches of Pakistan about 1999 we were debating that why ICC not ban Shoeb akhtar, saqlin for through bowling.
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Dec 31, 2015 09:48pm
@sam
He is No. 1 Test Bowler & No. 1 test all rounder at the moment so please respect Him.
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Dec 31, 2015 09:57pm
@Jawad He has been ranked by the ICC as the number 1 test bowler in 2015.
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Dec 31, 2015 10:11pm
He's the only off spinner who wears half sleeves and obviously has a clean action. He alongwith Graeme Swan and Nathan Lyon has squeeky clean action in recent times. Its just his variations and willingness to improvise has the doubters raise their voices for nothing. It has become fashionable for cricket fans across border to belittle indian achievers. Cmon chill guys.
As for saqlain. he too was genius but bowled in different era without much scrutiny. Would love to see his videos if he bowled with half sleeves on.
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Dec 31, 2015 11:52pm
Fellows, I just watched video of Saqlain bowling just the doosra like 20 times. He definitely BENDS his arm but within the allowable angle. That's the important caveat. Ashwin might simply be choosing to not take on the hassle of bending his arm on select deliveries. He never accused any of the illustrious proponents of the Doosra of cheating.
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Jan 01, 2016 01:40am
Anyone with even an iota of cricketing knowledge could tell that Ashwin's action is clean. Furthermore he doesn't bowl a doosra. That explains why no umpire has reported him as there's no real reason to. Pakistan in recent times have produced many bowlers with dodgy actions and therefore many Pakistanis have been reported. Out of that frustration, blaming Ashwin is sour grapes. As far as his statement "A doosra can't be bowled with a bent arm" is concerned, he is entitled to state him opinion sitting in a free country. Moreover, even the great Saqlain Mustaq (I am his No#1 fan mind you) was reported. He was cleared of course. However he only proved that he can bowl doosra within the 15 degree angle; not with an un-bent arm.
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Jan 01, 2016 09:43am
@COMMENTS_1234 ... Update your knowledge .. Ashwin is ICC No 1 ranked bowler at the moment.
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Jan 01, 2016 10:05am
@Hass everything bad that happens to you is the world's conspiracy. Thats your bottom line
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Jan 01, 2016 11:01am
@malika Specially when he is not liked by Pakistani's. How he can be allowed to play and take wickets:)
No player, no umpire, not match raferre has raised objection on Ashwin's action. But still jealous people want to ban him.
Sorry, but the world is not going to work on your wishes.
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Jan 01, 2016 11:30am
@Jawad Learn to respect the game and players first. And if that was the case why is your team at the rock bottom of the table?
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Jan 01, 2016 12:09pm
@Faisal - Apart from Saqlain who did it?
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Jan 01, 2016 08:16pm
@Jsyed Saqlian who knows may be called a chucker now.
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Jan 01, 2016 08:52pm
don't tell what you can not do
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Jan 01, 2016 08:55pm
yes he is no 1 bowler now but afridi hit him for two sixes in last and please don't ask about what maxwell did with him
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Jan 02, 2016 02:13am
Saqlain was the best to bowl doosra legally, while Murlitharan and harbhajan should have been banned from bowling even offspinners due to their illegal actions, while murlitharan's palm spinning off spinners were the worst & most impossible action for bowling doosras. Ashwin is a good bowler indeed but teh comment is far from truth and look like sour grapes to me, while he took his wickets in spinning tracks only and one of them even reported for being unfit for play being a substandard pitch. we shall see how he performs in England, Australia and south Africa. The only true legend spinner is shane warne while saqlain was the best off spinner by far including current lot and the past greats.
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Jan 02, 2016 02:19am
@Dean
i think AB went down to Mishra as well as teh fact that those substandard wickets where Elgar wasnt getting rid of inidian top order batsmen was a joke for test cricket. Reminds me of an english bowler called malendar who took six or seven wickets on a seaming headingley pitch but never appeared again after bowling on a few batting wickets.
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Jan 02, 2016 10:21am
Yes Mr Aswin, Saqulain, did bowl without bending. So don't say something without knowing the facts. Also you had a tremendous two series in very spin friendly pitches....first over a test match and balls diagonally and puff off dust! Just imagine Waquar and Wasim, bowling on 2 inches of green grass.....1000 wickets in no time. That said please deliver on green wickets. I am sure you can but do it first please.
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