diff --git a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParser.scala b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParser.scala
index e4c837a7ab13..eb6c77a5d181 100644
--- a/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParser.scala
+++ b/sql/core/src/main/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/execution/SparkSqlParser.scala
@@ -758,9 +758,18 @@ class SparkSqlAstBuilder(conf: SQLConf) extends AstBuilder {
     BucketSpec(
       ctx.INTEGER_VALUE.getText.toInt,
       visitIdentifierList(ctx.identifierList),
-      Option(ctx.orderedIdentifierList).toSeq
+      Option(ctx.orderedIdentifierList)
+        .toSeq
         .flatMap(_.orderedIdentifier.asScala)
-        .map(_.identifier.getText))
+        .map { orderedIdCtx =>
+          Option(orderedIdCtx.ordering).map(_.getText).foreach { dir =>
+            if (dir.toLowerCase != "asc") {
+              throw parseException("Only ASC ordering is supported for sorting columns", ctx)
+            }
+          }
+
+          orderedIdCtx.identifier.getText
+        })
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
index cb100021be3d..d6c98ea61968 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/MetastoreDataSourcesSuite.scala
@@ -948,9 +948,9 @@ class MetastoreDataSourcesSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiv
 
         sql(
           s"""CREATE TABLE t USING PARQUET
-              |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
-              |PARTITIONED BY (a)
-              |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
+             |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
+             |PARTITIONED BY (a)
+             |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
            """.stripMargin
         )
 
@@ -972,9 +972,9 @@ class MetastoreDataSourcesSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiv
 
         sql(
           s"""CREATE TABLE t USING PARQUET
-              |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
-              |CLUSTERED BY (a) SORTED BY (b) INTO 2 BUCKETS
-              |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
+             |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
+             |CLUSTERED BY (a) SORTED BY (b) INTO 2 BUCKETS
+             |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
            """.stripMargin
         )
 
@@ -992,9 +992,9 @@ class MetastoreDataSourcesSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiv
 
         sql(
           s"""CREATE TABLE t USING PARQUET
-              |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
-              |CLUSTERED BY (a) INTO 2 BUCKETS
-              |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
+             |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
+             |CLUSTERED BY (a) INTO 2 BUCKETS
+             |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
            """.stripMargin
         )
 
@@ -1016,10 +1016,10 @@ class MetastoreDataSourcesSuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiv
 
         sql(
           s"""CREATE TABLE t USING PARQUET
-              |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
-              |PARTITIONED BY (a)
-              |CLUSTERED BY (b) SORTED BY (c) INTO 2 BUCKETS
-              |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b, 3 AS c
+             |OPTIONS (PATH '$path')
+             |PARTITIONED BY (a)
+             |CLUSTERED BY (b) SORTED BY (c) INTO 2 BUCKETS
+             |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b, 3 AS c
            """.stripMargin
         )
 
diff --git a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/SQLQuerySuite.scala b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/SQLQuerySuite.scala
index 100cb3cef8bf..f20ab36efbf0 100644
--- a/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/SQLQuerySuite.scala
+++ b/sql/hive/src/test/scala/org/apache/spark/sql/hive/execution/SQLQuerySuite.scala
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.apache.hadoop.fs.Path
 import org.apache.spark.sql._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.TableIdentifier
 import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.analysis.{EliminateSubqueryAliases, FunctionRegistry}
+import org.apache.spark.sql.catalyst.parser.ParseException
 import org.apache.spark.sql.execution.datasources.{HadoopFsRelation, LogicalRelation}
 import org.apache.spark.sql.functions._
 import org.apache.spark.sql.hive.{HiveUtils, MetastoreRelation}
@@ -1488,4 +1489,20 @@ class SQLQuerySuite extends QueryTest with SQLTestUtils with TestHiveSingleton {
       "Once a managed table has been dropped, " +
         "dirs of this table should also have been deleted.")
   }
+
+  test("SPARK-14981: DESC not supported for sorting columns") {
+    withTable("t") {
+      val cause = intercept[ParseException] {
+        sql(
+          """CREATE TABLE t USING PARQUET
+            |OPTIONS (PATH '/path/to/file')
+            |CLUSTERED BY (a) SORTED BY (b DESC) INTO 2 BUCKETS
+            |AS SELECT 1 AS a, 2 AS b
+          """.stripMargin
+        )
+      }
+
+      assert(cause.getMessage.contains("Only ASC ordering is supported for sorting columns"))
+    }
+  }
 }