Cricket
Leg Spin vs. Off Spin: Key Differences Explained
Spin bowling in cricket is an art form. Leg spinners and off spinners have mastered their craft over the years, and there are plenty of variations covered by these two categories. When we think of spin, legends such as the late Shane Warne as well as Muttiah Muralitharan spring to mind for cricket fans. During their incredible careers, they took spin to whole a new level. At Sportsboom.com, it seems appropriate that we shine a light on spinners. This insightful guide compares and contrasts techniques and explains its role in Tests, ODIs, and T20s.
Shane Warne//Getty Images
Bowling Technique and Grip
Let’s start with the basics and explore the techniques and grips used for off spin and leg spin:
Leg Spin
When the ball is delivered, the bowler must flick their wrist and fingers to generate the spin.
In terms of grip, the index and middle fingers should be extended over the seam. Here, the ring finger and little finger should curl back into the palm. The grip should be firmly, but crucially, not too tight.
Ideally, the wrist should be relaxed to impart the most amount of spin and a solid release can deceive a batsman into playing a loose shot. Timing is critical; releasing too early or late can have a huge impact on the flight and accuracy of the delivery.
Off Spin
The spin here is generated by the first and second fingers of the right hand. Here, the middle joints of the index and middle fingers will be well spread across the seam.
In off spin, the ball will rest against the third finger, but the thumb will have little involvement. Bowlers will turn the ball in a clockwise direction, and through the first two fingers, they will try to generate rip. This is something that Ravichandran Ashwin, who is currently one of the best spinners in the world, has managed to achieve.
Direction and Type of Spin
Now you have a greater understanding of the grips used by leg spinners and off spinners, let’s look at the purpose of each:
Leg Spin
With leg spin, the bowler will try to impart enough spin to turn the ball from the leg side to the off side. Naturally, having a good run-up helps along with good foot placement leading up to the crease.
To a certain extent, it is arguably easier for batters to score runs off leg spinners. Well, if they read the flight off the ball well, then they can nurdle the ball to third man for a single or pull past square leg for a four.
Off Spin
Offspinners will turn the ball from the off side to the leg side, and it can be hard for batsmen to score runs. Well, the pace and accuracy can be a determining factor.
For example, Nathan Lyon, the Australian spin maestro, is seventh on the all-time leading wicket-takers in Test cricket. To date, he has picked up 549 wickets, and he’s an aggressive bowler, always looking to pile the pressure on the batsman. When he’s at his best, he’s almost unstoppable.
Top Spin Bowler Records
To put into context the importance of spin bowling, we’ve created a table highlighting some the best Test spinsters of their generation. This includes wickets taken and economy rate.
Top Spin Bowlers
| Player | Years Active | Type of spin (Leg or Off) | Test wickets | Best bowling figures | Overall economy rate |
| Muttiah Muralitharan (SL) | 1992-2010 | Off | 800 | 9/51 | 2.47 |
| Shane Warne (AUS) | 1992-2007 | Leg | 708 | 8/71 | 2.65 |
| Anil Kumble (IND) | 1990-2008 | Leg | 619 | 10/74 | 2.69 |
| Nathan Lyon (AUS) | 2011-2025 | Off | 549 | 8/50 | 2.93 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin (IND) | 2011-2024 | Off | 537 | 7/59 | 2.83 |
| Harbhajan Singh (IND) | 1998-2015 | Off | 417 | 8/84 | 2.84 |
Variations and Deliveries
Leg spin and off spin have many variants, and we have split this section into a couple of the most common ones for each:
Leg Spin - Googly
Made popular by the likes of Warne and Kumble, the googly is accredited to Bernard Bosanquet who played seven Tests for England during the early 1900s.
The idea of the googly is to trap the batsman into playing a false shot, moving forward, and the spin is so well disguised that they are left bamboozled. There aren’t many natural googly bowlers out there anymore, but it is highly effective.
Leg Spin - Slider
With this variation, the slider skips off the surface even though the ball release is much slower. Usually, there will be extra backspin added to the ball with the seam pointing towards the batter.
Again, Warne was a master of the slider, capturing many wickets during his career with this method.
Off Spin – Doosra
The offspin version of the googly, the doosra is just as devious. Bowled from the back of the hand with a lot of top-spin, the wrist moves in a clockwise direction.
At times, this technique has been called into question by ICC. However, Sri Lanka legend Muralitharan, India’s Harbhajan Singh and Pakistan bowler Shoaib Malik, rated one of his country’s best captains of all time, have had their actions cleared.
Off Spin – Arm Ball
An arm ball is a good way to change things up in the game, although with this action, little spin is imparted. It will either go straight or swing slightly, and there isn’t as much pace generated compared to other styles.
Graeme Swann, for example, was one of the best arm ball bowlers during his day, picked up 255 Test wickets for England before retiring in 2013.
Difficulty and Effectiveness
Leg spin is more difficult to execute than off spin, because of the complex wrist action involved. Also, being able to turn the ball from the leg side to the off side leaves little room for error for the bowler. Get the wrong line and a top-class batsman will punish you.
On the effectiveness point, off spin is a more consistent style of bowling, and it is perhaps more suitable for all forms of the game compared to its leg counterpart. Leg spin can be more unpredictable especially in limited-overs cricket, such as T20s and ODIs where batsmen are likely to be more aggressive and take greater risks.
Getting onto the front foot to face off spin is vital. Batters shouldn’t lunge or overextend themselves otherwise they could be bowled clean or be stumped. Ideally, having a solid base to play from and being positive when defending or attacking is critical.
Role in Different Formats
Off spin and leg spin have their uses across all formats, so let’s see how they work in action:
Test
For Test cricket, off spin is a great way to break things up if a side has used their pace bowlers for long spells. It gives them a breather, but also if the pitch is drier, then it can be a good tactic to bring on an off spinner to try and create chances.
With leg spin, the fielding placement may be more aggressive, so players might come in to surround the batsman including those at square leg ready to take a catch if there is a leading edge.
ODIs
In ODI cricket, leg spin and off spin are a great way to disrupt a batter’s rhythm. For example, if a batter has cashed in during the powerplay overs, using off spin can be effective. Coaches always talk about line and length, and with off spin, the aim is to try and beat the outside edge. Those off spin bowlers with an intelligent cricket brain may be brought in during the middle overs.
Whereas, with leg spin, the intention for ODIs is to try and plant a seed of doubt in the batter’s mind. Once again, fielding placements will be key so that the key scoring zones aren’t easily accessible for batsmen.
T20s
T20s tend to be more in favour of a batsman as they look to score quickly and heavily. Having a leg or off spin in your ranks can be a good way to keep things tight and defend a lead, especially if the run rate is soaring.
Spinners have become increasingly important at domestic and international level. Although spinners may prefer a longer format to weave their magic, a quick spell early on or at the death can shake things up and tilt things in a side’s favour.
Conclusion
In summary, there is still a premium placed on pace bowling, but the spinners have started to make their mark across all formats of the game. Having a master leg or off spinner at your disposal can give a side more versatility.
Off spin and leg spin have different end goals, and their differences should be celebrated. It will be fascinating to see if new trends emerge in these bowling styles.
REFERENCES
- 1
Australia legend Shane Warne’s death in 2022 – News of Shane Warne’s death comes through: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/60622426#:~:text=Warne%20helped%20Australia%20win%20the,Hobbs%20and%20Sir%20Viv%20Richards. Accessed February 6. 2025
- 2
Nathan Lyon on the all-time leading Test wicket-takers list – Nathan Lyon seventh on best Test bowlers list:https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/most-wickets-in-career-93276 Accessed February 6. 2025
- 3
Bernard Bosanquet the early googly pioneer – Bernard Bosanquet and the leg googly during the early 1900s: https://www.wisden.com/cricket-features/inessential-luxury-or-specialist-art-does-wrist-spin-stand-on-the-cusp-of-its-next-significant-evolution Accessed February 7. 2025
- 4
Graeme Swann Test wickets for England – Graeme Swann on the all-time top Test bowlers list: https://www.espncricinfo.com/records/most-wickets-in-career-93276
Accessed February 7. 2025
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.