Ashes: Bodyline revisited as Botham urges England to attack the ribs

England's pace attack holds the key to breaking their 12-year Test drought in Australia, with cricket legends weighing in on a potentially explosive series.

Lord Ian Botham and Greg Chappell on Tuesday in Melbourne. Picture: Getty Images for Cricket Australia

Bodyline, anyone?

“You want to be aggressive,” says England’s Ashes legend Ian Botham. “You want to come through and players, if they’re not playing very well, don’t like it in the ribs.”

Here comes the next breathless instalment of Australia’s biggest and best sporting rivalry. You can have the Bledisloe Cup, State of Origin and Collingwood v Carlton. Nothing beats the Ashes. From Bodyline to Botham’s Old Trafford heroics to Shane Warne’s ball of the century and Alex Carey’s stumping of Johnny Bairstow at Lord’s, our greatest yarn has been spinning like one of Warnie’s legbreaks for 148 years.

Botham has delivered a delicious little uppercut to Australia’s struggling batsmen. Attacking the ribs? Mate, that rings a bell. England captain Douglas Jardine instructed his players in 1932-33 to refer to Don Bradman as “the little bastard” before rattling the Australian hero, and his teammates, by bowling at their bodies.

Botham wasn’t doing a Jardine, to be fair, but nonetheless proposing that hard-and-fast ruthlessness was the way to go.

“These (Australian) guys have been around for a long time, so it’s not a case of rattling anything,” Botham said. “It’s a case of winning. Going out and trying to win. It’s one of those big ifs. If Eng­land’s bowlers stay fit, which doesn’t happen very often, but if they can stay fit and the captain (Ben Stokes) can play a full part, England have a real chance.”

The First Test begins at Perth on November 21. While the players are getting their gear in order and their heads in the right space, and playing practice games before the commencement of next week’s inevitable mind games, a couple of Ashes’ good old boys were at the MCG on Tuesday to promote a 150th anniversary Test to be staged in Melbourne in 2027.

That can wait. All we really wanted was Botham and Greg Chappell’s thoughts on the upcoming series. England’s lively pace attack is led by the seriously quick Joffra Archer and Mark Wood, both of whom who can fling the leather at a frightening 155km/h against an ageing Australian side being mocked by the English press as Dad’s Army.

You could put the 69-year-old in the England team ... and it would still be younger than Australia’s. “A bit of a worry,” he says.

Australia is in a muddle about its batting order. Having a seniors moment. Jake Weatherald or Marnus Labuschagne to open with the 38-year-old Usman Khawaja? Cam Green or Labuschagne at No 3? Green or Beau Webster at No 6?

“I hope the powers that be know who their first-choice opener alongside Khawaja is because I think it’s an important role. It always has been,” Chappell said.

“It’s an interesting England bowling attack. It’s exciting to think we’re going to see a real contest. History tells us every series that has been won in Australia has been won by the best bowling … usually fast bowling.”

England’s cricketers usually leave Australia more red-faced than British tourists who’ve spent too much time in the Bondi sun. They haven’t won a Test on these shores since 2011 – but this squad can pack a punch. Gone are the days of warm-up games against Australian states. England’s first match in Australia will be … the First Test against Australia.

“It’s not the way I would prepare,” Botham said. “I think historically you have to acclimatise when you come down here. You’ve got to remember there’s 24½ million people you’re playing against, not 11. You have to take that on board. There’s all kinds of things that go into the melting pot. It’s just now a matter of wait and see. Let’s bring it on. Let’s get the gladiators out there.”