Published: Jul 26, 2017, 04:14 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 09, 2017, 08:41 AM (IST)
Remember the bodyline series from 1932-33. Yes, it has been a long, long time since that series was played but then that was a monumental series between England and Australia, where the England fast bowlers, Harold Larwood and Bill Voce in particular secured a series win for the visitors with a sustained attack of short-pitched bowling to a strong leg-side field. This ultimately led to the change in the laws of the game.
Former Australian quick Damien Fleming has said this summer’s Ashes ‘Down Under’ could be a second version of Bodyline series and this time around it will be the Australian pace quartet, who can bounce out the England top order. The English batsmen struggled to cope against the pace and bounce of the South African quicks at Trent Bridge last week and were bowled for a mere 133 runs in the second innings, thus losing the Test by 340 runs.
Fleming said that the Australian bowlers, in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson, are all relatively quicker than the Proteas’ bowlers and considering that they will get more bounce on the Australian wickets, the English Men will have a torrid time when they come here.
“If the Poms are getting bounced out in their home conditions against that South African attack, our boys … have two or three yards (of pace) on the South Africans,” Fleming told The Unplayable Podcast. “And they’re going to get a lot more bounce out here.”
“This could be Bodyline 2. I know there’s fielding restrictions so we can’t go full Bodyline from 1932-33. But I’d say Darren Lehmann would have been looking at those highlights from (Trent Bridge) and the plan would be ‘don’t be pitching too many balls up to the English top order’,” added Fleming.
The performance of the England batting order will greatly depend on two individuals – the former captain Alastair Cook and the current captain Joe Root. Root, however, has struggled to score runs in Australia and averages just 27 down under. But that was four years ago. Root’s overall average after that series is more than 60 in Tests and he is currently among the best batsmen in the world.
According to Fleming, the Australian selectors should go in with four quicks straightaway from the first Test and try to bounce Root and Co. out with hostile short-pitch bowling.
“I suppose until (Root) comes out here and averages over 50 in a series, the question marks will be there (about) whether he can score runs out here,” Fleming said. “No doubt the short ball will be a tactic to him at some stage, but you’ve got to be constantly reading the pitch conditions as well. If the ball is moving, you’ve got to bowl fuller. Joe Root is as susceptible as anyone if you’re bowling high-quality outswingers or are seaming the ball in. I don’t necessarily think it’s a deficiency in his game, but it’s certainly a tactic that can be used out here in Australia.”
England’s last tour of Australia in 2013-14 was no short of ‘Bodyline’ as well. Mitchell Johnson, the wrecker-in-chief’ employed short-pitched tactics to dismantle the Englishmen 5-0 to reclaim the Ashes.
