Australia to unleash their "attack dog" in bouncer war

Could the cricket series between Australia and New Zealand turn nasty in Melbourne?

Cricket greats want the Bodyline war to go into overdrive, urging Australia to pick their scariest "enforcer".

The legendary leg spinner Shane Warne and former England captain Michael Vaughan want fast bowler James Pattinson selected for the Boxing Day test over the veteran Peter Siddle.

The Telegraph wrote: "Australian captain Tim Paine has vowed to be more ruthless as calls grow for selectors to unleash the beast and make James Pattinson their Bodyline enforcer'. Pattinson was also described as an "attack dog".

New Zealand's medium-fast bowler Neil Wagner lit the first test fuse, after leaving Aussie batsman Matthew Wade "battered and bruised" as the Telegraph put it.

Memories of the infamous Bodyline series between Australia and England 87 years ago are being revived, with claims that New Zealand's short-pitched bowling has unnerved the great Aussie batsman Steve Smith who fell to Wagner bouncers.

"Pretty simple for me – get Pattinson in, unleash him," Warne told News Corp.

"He's aggressive and I want him to come in and I want him to bowl fast and be aggressive and smash it into the wicket."

Vaughan said bodyline comparisons made by Australian captain Paine was a declaration of war.

"That's why James Pattinson has to play. Pattinson comes in for (the injured) Josh Hazlewood," Vaughan said on Fox Cricket's 360.

"I don't think it's even a discussion. Pattinson bowls at 145km/h with Cummins and then Starc and a bit of Nathan Lyon. I wouldn't change anything.

Vaughan said most of the New Zealanders looked "a bit like rabbits in the headlights" after the humiliating first test defeat in Perth.

"This is one Test match win for New Zealand in 29 … whether it's one day cricket or Test cricket I really think the Australians have the wool over the New Zealanders eyes," he said.

Mike Hussey, the former Australian player and now TV commentator, said Wagner may have started the bumper fight, but Australia would win it.

"(Tim Paine) knows he's got the artillery in his camp," Hussey said on Fox's 360.

"They've got Wagner who has a good go but he's in the 130s, Tim Southee is in the 130s, maybe high 120s… I know which camp I'd rather be in if they're bowling Bodyline."

Paine has said Australia is still going through the process of rediscovering its ruthless streak after big wins over Pakistan and New Zealand.

"It was great theatre, wasn't it," Paine said. "We were just having a laugh before when we were bowling at their tail, we think it's going to be a bit of Bodyline for a lot of the series.

"There's been a lot of talk about it, but regardless of the pace of the two teams they are very, very skilled at executing that ball and they set great fields for it."

The fiery Pattinson was supposedly battling Starc for a place in the team which played Pakistan, but ran into trouble over a verbal altercation – allegedly involving a homophobic slur - in a Sheffield Shield match.

Australian coach Justin Langer is considering playing five bowlers, and veteran Peter Siddle has also been mentioned as a possible Hazlewood replacement.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission