Ashes could be Bodyline revisited: Fleming

Former Test quick Damien Fleming says this summer's Ashes series could be "Bodyline 2" if Australia's quartet of fast bowlers fire against England's fragile top order.

England's batsmen were rattled by South Africa's quicks at Trent Bridge last week as Vernon Philander, Chris Morris and Morne Morkel led the Proteas to a convincing 340-run win.

Fleming says the sight of England's top order being unsettled by pace and bounce in Nottingham only added weight to the case of Australia unleashing a four-man pace attack this summer.

And given Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are all, on average, faster than the Proteas quicks, and will find more bounce from pitches in Australia than the South Africans have gained in England, Fleming is predicting a torrid time for the tourists.

"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'."

The Bodyline series was an infamous Ashes campaign in Australia more than 80 years ago when England quicks Harold Larwood and Bill Voce secured a series win for the tourists with a sustained attack of short-pitched bowling to a strong leg-side field, which ultimately led to a change in the laws of the game.

England's top order for the first Test at The Gabba is far from locked in partway through their own Test summer; skipper Joe Root and former captain Alastair Cook are seemingly the only certain selections in the top four with rookie opener Keaton Jennings and uncapped Tom Westley to fill the other top-order spots in the third Test at The Oval this week.

The performance of Root this summer will no doubt play a major role in the result of the Ashes with the right-hander looking to conquer one of the only challenges he's failed to overcome so far in his stellar career.

Root averaged just 27 from four Tests in Australia four years before being dropped for the final Test of the series, but has averaged more than 60 in Tests since then to establish himself as one of the best batsmen in the world.

Former Australia spinner Kerry O'Keeffe said last week Root was a "danger" for the Australians, but added he will "nick forever if it bounces" on the traditionally faster Australian pitches.

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While Fleming urged Australia's selectors to pull the trigger and pick all four quicks in the same XI, he said bowling nous would need to override flat-out hostility and aggression against Root and his teammates.

"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 have the final two Tests against South Africa and three against the West Indies before they finalise their squad for the Ashes, while Australia's only Test series between now and the Gabba Test will come in Bangladesh in August and September.