Looking back: The Ashes series

And he said they would be looking to return to winning ways in next month's ICC Super Series against a World XI.

"Things had been going along well for a long period of time and this has been a hiccup and something we have got to get over pretty quickly.

"It will toughen me up as a captain, if that needed to happen. I am not sure it did," Ponting commented.

He came under fire from former fast bowler Dennis Lillee, who called for Shane Warne to be appointed skipper in the wake of the team's 2-1 defeat in England.

But Ponting has been re-appointed for the Super Series, which involves three one-day games and a six-day Test.

It's always hard for the captain of a losing team - there's no doubt about it Ricky Ponting

He believes the team put themselves under too much pressure in England.

"We got away from those habits and those little things along the way that help to win Test matches.

"It's important to get those back again and I'm sure if we do, you will see us win lots of Test matches," he said during a TV interview.

"It has been built up as if it was a disastrous tour. It was a tough tour and disappointing because we felt we should have won and we didn't.

"We got pretty close on a couple of occasions but we were not quite good enough - that was the overall feeling of the team."

He added: "One of the main reasons we have been regarded as the number one team in the world is that we are all harsh judges of our own games and how we are going.

"A lot of players would have returned from England, had a good hard look at themselves and (will) try to find a way of making themselves better players next time around."