The pain of defeat was the inspiration behind England's success in the Investec Ashes, according to Joe Root, the one England player to have made a century in the four Tests to date.

Root was part of the team thrashed 5-0 in Australia 18 months ago and by the end of the series he had lost his place in the side. While he is now rated as the No. 1 Test batsman in the world, he has never forgotten the disappointment of that tour and says it was the memories of those setbacks that drove him, and this England team, on to victory this summer.

"Personally, that was the inspiration," Root said as he reflected on victory at Trent Bridge. "You want to make sure you're not in that position again. It was a tough tour. That's something that has always been in the back of my mind. So when you get into a position of strength, you want to make sure you drive it home. It's definitely one of the reasons why this is so enjoyable."

Root arrived in Australia with a great deal of responsibility on his young shoulders. Having opened the batting with limited success in the 3-0 Ashes win during the English summer of 2013 - he made one elegant century at Lord's after benefitting from a couple of dropped catches early on and only passed 30 once more in the series - he started off at No. 6 in Australia but was moved to No. 3 when Jonathan Trott went home after the first Test in Brisbane.

But after averaging just 27.42 from the first four Tests, with one half-century, he was replaced by Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance for the final game in Sydney. While it turned out to be a temporary setback - Root returned to the England side for the first Test of the following summer and promptly cemented his place with an unbeaten double-century against Sri Lanka - it served to ensure he would not suffer from any sense of complacency in the future.

"Knowing what we went through there - all that hurt and pain - that was one of the things that drove us forward," Root said. "You know what it's like to be on the wrong side of things, so if you're doing well, you want to make sure you drive it home."

In the past, many players used the adage "make the weakness of this season the strength of next." But Root went about his redevelopment slightly differently. Instead of focusing on his faults, he focused on his strengths. Instead of trying to be a different type of player, he tried to be the best version of the one he was naturally.

"I did make a few changes after Australia," he said. "But the main thing I did was stick to my strengths. I made sure that I worked on all the shots I thought were my bread and butter and I made them as good as they could possibly be. Rather than try to have the perfect game, I was going to make sure that, if balls came into areas where I felt comfortable scoring, I was going to make sure I made it count."

Not so long ago it appeared that Root could be captain of England before the end of the summer. But with Alastair Cook having returned to better form with the bat and having improved as a captain, that is a scenario that now seems less likely. Root, aged only 24 and still improving as a batsman, insists that is a scenario with which he is more than happy.

Indeed, he believes it is reflective of the current motivation in the England squad: where personal ambitions come a distant second to collective ones and players enjoy each other's success. "As far as captaincy is concerned, Cooky has done exceptionally well," Root said. "He's just won the Ashes for the second time in three attempts, so hopefully he'll be in charge of us for a long time. He's doing a fantastic job leading this group of players.

"There have been times when we haven't backed him up as we should have done on the pitch, but thankfully this series we have. And hopefully that will continue going forwards.

"I'm happy with my game. But it is nowhere near perfect. I have a lot of things I want to work on. You have personal goals. And of course, to be rated No. 1 batsman in the world is nice. But it is nowhere near the front of my mind. It's about having days like this and being part of something as special as this with this group of players. We all thoroughly enjoy seeing each other doing well. You don't get a better feeling than this."

And Root had special words for Ballance, who was dropped after the second Test at Lord's, but who played a valuable role in the victory in Cardiff by helping England recover from 43 for 3 and adding 153 for the fourth-wicket with Root.

"There are things that might be forgotten or not given credit," Root said. "Like Gary Ballance's knock in Cardiff. That was very important in this series and helped get us over the line in the first game. Everyone who played has made a massive contribution towards winning. The guys who aren't here should be remembered for what they contributed."