While terming the performances of India and New Zealand as impressive Australian opening batsman David Warner reckons his side to be the best in the World Cup.

The opening batsman pointed out the balance of Australia’s batting line-up as the factor which gave them an advantage over the other two teams.

"The team to beat at the moment would have to be New Zealand but India has been playing fantastic cricket as well both with bat and bowl," said Warner after a training session.

"With the team that we've got and the balance that we've got, we showed the other night with the bat [against Sri Lanka] what can happen.

"Any team that comes up against us and sees myself and 'Finchy' [Aaron Finch] at the top with Smith and (Michael) Clarke to come in – sort of the anchor roles there – and then you see (Glenn) Maxwell, Watson, (James) Faulkner, (Brad) Haddin ... if we're two or three for 250 we could finish off very well, like we did the other day.”

The 28-year-old, who blitzed his way to a 133-ball 178 against Afghanistan last week, expects more consistency from his side’s top-order in the matches ahead.

"Hopefully sometimes we don't need 'Maxi' [Maxwell] or 'Watto' [Watson] to do what they did and the top four can do the job as well."

Warner was all praise for all-rounder Shane Watson, who announced his return to form with belligerent 41-ball 67 against Sri Lanka in Sydney on Sunday.

Watson had gone through a lean patch over the last one year, averaging only 22.3 from 10 One-Day Internationals before being dropped for the match against Afghanistan.

"I think the way Shane played the other day was fantastic.

“He adopted the approach where he knew he could come in and play his game,"

"Because he was out of form, he had the luxury to go in and [still] play the way he wanted to play.

“I think that's the message he wanted to send to everyone, that he can still play this form of the game no matter where he wants to bat."

The opening batsman also spoke highly about young batting sensation Steve Smith who has been in phenomenal form over the past one-year.

Warner, who had a breezy partnership with Smith against Afghanistan, pointed out the latter’s temperament as his biggest strength.

"I hadn't batted a lot with Steve Smith and it was great to bat along time out there with him," he said.

"The head on his shoulders is very good. He is very smart when he is out there, he's actually on the ball all the time.

“He is [calculating] what rate we are going at, even though it says it up on the board.

“In some of the initial periods he was telling me we've got to bat through the powerplays and then we could step it up a bit.

"I think he does a great job at the moment at three and I think he'll continue to be a very good player at number three."

Despite being assured of a quarter-final berth, Warner wants Australia to maintain the winning momentum when they take on Scotland in Hobart on Saturday.

The swashbuckling left-hander added that a win on Saturday will enable Australia to finish second in Pool A which eliminates any possibility of them facing India or South Africa in the quarter-final.

Irrespective of their eventual position in Pool A, Australia will play their quarter-final at the Adelaide Oval on 20th March.

© Cricket World 2015