Tim Paine: "Retaining the Ashes is something I will never forget"

KISHAN VAGHELA AT THE OVAL: The Australia wicketkeeper became the first captain to take the urn back to Down Under since 2001

Tim Paine has admitted he will never forget this Ashes series despite not being able to lead the side to a first Ashes series win since 2001.

Australia's 135-run defeat at The Oval ensured the shares were spoiled for the series, which came after the visitors confirmed that they would retain the urn by winning at Old Trafford.

However, despite the defeat it is an overall result that Paine admits he would have taken when he became the Australia skipper.

"We are a little disappointed by this game, it puts a little bit of a dampener on it, but overall we would have taken it.

"I didn't think I would still be doing it [the job] to be honest. I am very lucky to be in this position, and now to be captain of a team that has come here and retained the Ashes is something that I will never forget."

"Right now it is difficult to be absolutely thrilled with what has happened, but when you put it into perspective and what we have done over the last 12 months as a group, had you said we would be retaining the Ashes I think we would have taken it, and most Australians would have."

^{Despite their loss at the Oval, Australia retained the Ashes}

"I think we can be proud of the way we have come over here which is a challenging place for Australians to come and play and win, to win two Test matches pretty convincingly, we have done a lot right.

While it was the win in Manchester which confirmed that the Ashes would be heading back to Australia a week ago, Paine maintained that it was the Edgbaston win that was the most crucial, as it set up the series nicely for the visitors.

"There was so much talk about it being a fortress and a difficult place to start the series by design, so for us to win that first Test quite convincingly gave us the belief that we could do it. 

"It gave us a taste of how we wanted to play would work, and to get confirmation so early on in the series that the way we wanted to play worked made it easier for the guys to stick to that."

However, a 2-2 overall result has not left the Australia captain in any doubt that there is still much work to do if Australia are to climb back to number one, even despite Steve Smith's brilliant record of 774 runs in the series.

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"Steve [Smith] is the best player in the world and he is still improving. I think the moment we stop and say we don't have to improve there is something wrong.

"We have got some parts which we need to improve, but if we can click them into gear with Steve still at the height of his powers, with the pace attack we have got the potential to become a very hard team to beat."

Smith, who himself walked in with his captain for the post-match press conference, received a standing ovation after being dismissed for 23 in his final innings of the English summer, but he appreciated the change in attitude towards him from the crowd.

"It was a nice reception when I walked off. It would have been nice if I had a few more runs under my belt in this game. I have given it my all since I have been here.

"I didn't have much left to give today, I am pretty cooked mentally and physically and I am looking forward to a nice couple of weeks rest now before getting back into the Australian summer."