Australian opener David Warner has claimed that the team to beat at the moment in the World Cup would be New Zealand, given their swinging new ball bowlers and their skipper Brendon McCullum going at the top of the order.
New Zealand is currently the only unbeaten side in Pool A, a record shared by India in Pool B, and with only a meeting against Bangladesh remaining they would be odds-on to enter the quarterfinals with an unblemished record.
Much of the success for New Zealand has been courtesy of skipper McCullum's swashbuckling form at the top of the order with the bat, but arguably more damage has come from their bowlers who have the ability to put opposition teams on the back foot early, News.com.au reported.
New Zealand has three of the top four wicket takers in the tournament, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee equal second on 13 and spinner Daniel Vettori a spot further back with 12.
Ahead of Australia's last group match against Scotland in Hobart on Saturday, Warner claimed that when the ball is swinging and one has McCullum going off at the top of the order in New Zealand, they don't need to change.
The opener said that New Zealand have won every game, adding that three of their bowlers are in the top five leading wicket takers. He said that other teams haven't worked out how to play their opening bowlers, adding that for Australia, they played a couple of loose shots with the ball swinging.
Warner insisted that other teams have done the same thing and lost early wickets, adding that moving forward the teams that are going into the last eight are going to have to work a little bit harder to counteract New Zealand's opening pair and McCullum up the top of the order.
Warner also said that the team to beat at the moment would have to be New Zealand but added that India have been playing fantastic cricket as well, insisting that Australia are definitely right in the mix as well.
