Alastair Cook: The only way is up for England after 5-0 Ashes defeat

Captain Alastair Cook told England they would need to show courage to lift themselves from "rock bottom" after their humiliating 5-0 whitewash was completed in Sydney.

Team spirit

Cook insisted his team were a tight unit and backed them to use the experience to improve. "One thing we can say we've done well is stuck together," he said. "At times like this factions can corner off in the dressing room and there can be a lot of backstabbing but I can safely say that hasn't happened. "But the bottom line is out in the middle is where it counts. If you look back at 2006/7, it made me take a good look at my game, it made us have a real look at ourselves as an England team and a lot of good came from it. "I have a feeling this will be good for us in the long term. "A lot of those young players... Stokesy's done a fantastic job for us and he's a real shining light in being able to balance that side. He knows how much hard work [is needed] and how hard Test cricket can be after playing in this. "Rooty, we know he's going to be a very good player. He's going to have to look at his technique, so that will only bode well in the future. Gary Ballance as well I thought looked very composed at the crease. "But when this happens you look at yourself, you look at your technique. Where can you improve? It happened last time and I think it will happen again this time."