"Had an opportunity to shut us out" - Marnus Labuschagne claims Joe Root's ultra-aggressive approach gave Australia an opening at Edgbaston

Australia's Test No.3 Marnus Labuschagne believes Joe Root's ultra-aggressive approach helped them in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The right-handed batter feels Root would have batted them out at Edgbaston had he not adopted an overly aggressive approach.

Root was England's best performer in the opening Ashes Test, scoring a pristine hundred in the first innings. The Yorkshire batter made 46 in the second innings before gifting his wicket to Nathan Lyon by stepping out to hit a six.

Labuschagne observed that the right-handed batter taking plenty of risks favoured Australia big time and that scoring 80 instead of 46 would have made it England's game. As quoted by The Age, the 29-year-old said:

"From my perspective, him playing that method and those shots are keeping us in the game. I use that second innings as an example. He probably had an opportunity to shut us out and take the game away from us completely. But the method and the way he was playing kept us in the game and, evidently, he played an unbelievable innings, but he ended up getting 40 [46] and if he turns that 40 into 80-plus, we’re chasing 300 and that’s going to be a pretty big effort."

The former No. 1-ranked Test batter hopes that England's approach keeps paying off for his side.

"So, I think that’s the benefit for us, the way they’re playing," he said. "They’re playing aggressive cricket, and he’s doing it with a different method, which is great, but it brings in other opportunities for us. Hopefully, at some point in the series, that will keep paying off."

Root and Harry Brook scored freely until the former's dismissal. England set the visitors 281 to win, which Australia accomplished with two wickets to spare.

"It's a rarity that I’d play at those balls" - Marnus Labuschagne on his dismissals at Edgbaston

Marnus Labuschagne walks off after being dismissed. (Credits: Getty)

Labuschagne, who had a forgettable game at Edgbaston, said it was uncharacteristic of him to fiddle at deliveries well outside off-stump. The right-hander holds himself to a higher standard and hopes to rectify his mistakes in the second Test.

"They were very uncharacteristic dismissals to how I’ve usually played, that’s why I was pretty frustrated with myself to get out that way and asked myself the question, ‘Why did I play at those deliveries.' I’ve come up with my own summation of what that is; if there’s anything I can do tactically or technically to make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said. "It’s a rarity that I’d play at those balls, so it’s not something I’m going to overthink, but I hold myself to a much higher standard than those dismissals."

The second Ashes Test starts on June 28 at Lord's.