'Adelaide set up series' - Smith

Steven Smith expects to hand the captaincy back to George Bailey ahead of the World Cup, and Michael Clarke once he returns to full fitness, after a successful first stint as leader delivering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia with a 2-0 series margin over India.

Leading from the front with a record tally of runs in a four-Test series, Smith said he had enjoyed the role, and spoke warmly of how his team had fought through the emotional trauma of losing Phillip Hughes to a freak accident in the weeks before the series began.

"Extremely proud," Smith said. "From the first game in Adelaide the boys showed a lot of heart to go there and play the way we did there. To win that first Test match was extremely big for us to start the series off well.

"There's been tough moments throughout the series, but the way the boys have held themselves throughout the series has been terrific, we set out at the start to win the series and we did that 2-0 and we are extremely satisfied with our results."

Smith reserved some of his highest praise for his pace bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Hazlewood made his debut in Smith's first Test as captain at the Gabba, and a five-wicket haul in his first innings was a major reason for victory in that match, to be followed up by draws on the holiday swing through Melbourne and Sydney. India's captain Virat Kohli also cited Hazlewood as the example for his own pacemen to follow.

"He has done a terrific job since he got picked at the Gabba," Smith said. "He has got the extra height and the extra bounce. That is something that is very important on Australian wickets. He gets that little bit of extra kick from the wicket and the bounce which can catch the edge of the bat. He was terrific throughout the series."

Starc's growth was also significant, for he took on the role of lead fast bowler with aplomb in Sydney after struggling on a rather more helpful surface in Brisbane. His performance in place of Mitchell Johnson was of a standard that demanded his re-selection for Australia's next Test matches, in the West Indies in June.

"The way Mitchell Starc came back in this match and filled the role Mitch Johnson has been doing for us, he was very aggressive, he swung the ball early and got the ball to reverse at nearly 150kph consistently," Smith said. "I am very proud of the way he came back into the side after being left out a couple of games. He has got a bright future."

Smith has also had time to reflect on his unfortunate dalliance with Channel Nine's Spidercam on day three, when his attempt to take a critical catch was distracted by its wires.

"It was just one of those things," he said. "It was right above the wire, looked like it was moving as I was going to the ball. I think it's a great innovation, a great camera, but I think it just needs to be in the right place at the right time, to be honest."

On Sunday morning, Smith will return to the ranks as a member of Australia's World Cup 15 when it is announced at Circular Quay. But in three weeks as Australia's leader he has shown much evidence to suggest his tenure - whenever it becomes permanent - will be long and fruitful.