Joint vice-captain Josh Hazlewood is confident that Australia are winning back trust during the ongoing Test series against India.

The team was rocked by the suspensions of trio Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft earlier this year. They were found guilty of ball-tampering during the tour of South Africa.

‘I think it has been really good. When you’re playing against India and these top teams, the pressure’s always there, and it’s always a big session or a big hour,’ Hazlewood told The Age.

‘I think it has been great. I think there has been some good feedback from the public and all the viewers. It has been high-quality Test cricket. It has been quite competitive between bat and ball. Hopefully that continues.

‘We’ve changed little things. The way we handle ourselves on the field and off it. But I think just everyone’s going in the one direction now. The players and staff and everyone at Cricket Australia. I think we’re heading in the right direction.’

Hazlewood is sharing the vice-captaincy with all-rounder Mitchell Marsh in the absence of Warner. But Marsh was not selected for the first two Tests of the four-match series. Captain Tim Paine, meanwhile, is proving an arguably capable successor to Smith.

‘I think things are going well with Paine as captain. There are quite a lot of inexperienced guys around the team at the moment,’ added Hazlewood.

‘I’ve spoken to Smith a little bit from time to time over the past couple of months. He seems to be getting better and better every time I talk to him. He’s fine.’

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