'I feel Australia haven't yet played their best cricket' - Former Pakistan skipper feels best yet to come for World Test Champions

Australia managed to eke out a memorable and crucial two-wicket win in Birmingham, in the first Ashes Test, even with star batters like David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith, failing to fire. This wasn't their only win of the ongoing English summer, as they outplayed India in the World Test Championship final too, winning by 209 runs, earlier this month.

Former Pakistan captain, Salman Butt, however, feels that Australia have not played to their full potential as yet. Butt stated that when Australia start playing their best game, they will win by bigger margins.

"I feel Australia haven't yet played their best cricket. Without playing to their full potential, they won the World Test Championship final and now the first Ashes Test, beating two good teams. If they come into their own and start playing to their potential, they will start winning by bigger margins," the 38-year-old said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Butt, went on to explain his assessment, as he said that Pat Cummins was a bit expensive, and Josh Hazlewood wasn't near his best, while the likes of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne couldn't come to the party.

"Pat Cummins leaked runs at 4.5 per over. [Josh] Hazlewood bowled well but not at his complete best. Even in the batting [department], the likes of Smith and Labuschagne didn't fire," Butt said.

"They are getting runs from [Usman] Khawaja, [Alex] Carey and a bit from [Cameron] Green and [Travis] Head too scoring a fifty. But it feels the big performance hasn't come yet from them and yet they have won."

Khawaja is a matured player and can hold one end up with also the ability to play his shots: Salman Butt

Butt heaped praise on left-handed batter, Usman Khawaja, for his heroics in the first Test. Khawaja scored a patient century in the first innings, and followed it up with a dogged 65 in the second innings, to help Australia chase down 281 runs. Butt lauded the Australian opener for being a versatile batter who could play aggressively as well as patiently, based on the match situation.

"Khawaja is a matured player and can hold one end up with also the ability to play his shots. We have seen just how good he is in T20 cricket with his knocks for Islamabad United and also in the BBL [Big Bash League] over the years. It shows that he is versatile and is capable of playing the situation."

The Pat Cummins-led side will hope to continue the winning momentum when it faces England in the second Test at the Lord's Cricket Ground, starting June 28.