While Fleming conceded that all-rounders Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, as well as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, would cause problems for Australia he was scathing in his assessment of Keaton Jennings, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan.

“England needs three decent batsman in their top six,” Fleming, who played 20 tests and 88 one-dayers when Australia were in their pomp in the 1990s, told Melbourne’s RSN radio.

“Watching the South African series, they’re some of the worst batsmen I’ve ever seen play test cricket.”

England beat South Africa 3-1 in the just-completed series but Fleming said the retention for the Ashes of opener Jennings and top order batsman Westley would offer plenty of opportunities for the Australian bowlers.

“(Jennings) scored 127 runs at an average of 15. I used to bat nine in test matches and I would just be happy with that, averaging 15. Just be happy. He’s opening the batting,” Fleming added. “I don’t like his technique, closed grip, he’s going to nick people that can angle the ball across him and bowlers that can actually get the ball to shape back in, that gap between bat and front pad. This is an opening batsman.

“Westley has a similar technique. He is squared up, he has hands that are a long way in front of his body with a closed grip. How does he hit the ball through the off side? He’s going to nick off or get in trouble with the ball that comes in.

“Where are 80 percent of the deliveries going to be to Jennings and Westley? Outside off stump, maybe shaping away. They don’t have a technique to cope with that.” Westley and Malan made their test debuts in the third test against the Proteas, with the former taking over at “first drop” from the injured Gary Ballance, who did not escape Fleming’s brutal analysis.

“How did Gary Ballance play test cricket again after that last series two years ago there?” Fleming said, referring to the batsman’s axing after two tests of the 2015 Ashes.

“Young Malan, 35 runs at an average of eight. There’s real opportunities for Australia to run through the top order.”

England, set 283 for victory, were bowled out for 207 after tea on the fourth day.

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took four for 69 for a match haul of 10 for 141 in his first Test outside of Asia and the United Arab Emirates.

Left-arm quick Amir, at the scene of his 2010 spot-fixing crime, ended the match when he bowled last man Jake Ball.

Victory saw Pakistan go 1-0 up in the four-match series ahead of the second Test at Old Trafford starting on Friday.

At tea England were 155 for six needing a further 128 runs to reach their victory target of 283.

The most England had ever made before to win in the fourth innings of a Lord’s Test was 282 for three against New Zealand in 2004.

England were making steady progress at 135 for four when leg-spinner Shah, who took six for 72 in the first innings, struck Sunday.

A ball after Gary Ballance had pulled him for four, Shah bowled the recalled left-hander behind his legs for 43 with a delivery that spun out of the rough. Moeen Ali (two) then charged down the pitch in an attempt to drive Shah, only to be bowled between bat and pad by a well-flighted delivery.

Shah had taken two wickets for two runs in six balls and England were 139 for six.

Rahat treble

Earlier, Pakistan’s Rahat Ali removed England’s top three batsmen in a breathless pre-lunch session that saw the hosts score 90 runs in 22 overs.

England captain Alastair Cook launched the chase with a four off the very first ball of the innings when he cut a loose Mohammad Amir delivery to the boundary.

All the pre-match focus had been on Amir, making his return to Test cricket at the scene of his 2010 spot-fixing crime.

But it was fellow left-arm quick Rahat who stunned England.

His back-off-a-length ball had left-hander Cook (eight) edging through to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Cook’s opening partner Alex Hales made a brisk 16 before carelessly chasing a wide ball from Rahat outside off stump, with Mohammad Hafeez holding a good catch at first slip.

Joe Root, England’s new number three, struck two superb cover-driven fours off Rahat — one of the back foot and the other the front.

But the star batsman fell into a hooking trap on nine when he paddled a Rahat short ball to Shah, set back at deep square leg.

James Vince too got off the mark with a cover-driven four off Rahat.

Vince was on nine when his edged drive off Rahat flew to Younis Khan only for the second slip to drop both the initial low catch and the rebound.

Vince struck nine fours, mainly through the offside, on his way to a Test-best 41 not out at lunch without looking assured.

It seemed he might give a catch in the slips at any moment and he did so again early in the second session.

Vince added just one run to his lunch score when, not moving his feet, he edged a booming drive of a Wahab Riaz delivery that moved away to second slip Younis, who this time clung on at the second attempt. Earlier, Pakistan added just one run to their overnight 214 for eight.

Pace bowler Woakes led England off the field after taking five for 32 for a match haul of 11 for 102. AFP