Clarke was given the task of  leading a demoralised Australia into the final Test in Sydney after Ricky Ponting was ruled out with a broken finger after defeat in Melbourne.

His debut as captain ended with a huge innings and 83-run defeat.

England wrapped up series with a 3-1 win.

“It’s been a tough couple of months to be honest, we’ve been outplayed in all facets of the game,” Clarke said after the fifth and final Test.

“I think England have shown us what execution and discipline does with the ball and they’ve managed to go and make some big scores with the bat as well.”

“Obviously I’m very disappointed like all the boys. We didn’t perform as well as we’d have liked.”

Clarke also hoped that the selectors do not make wholesale changes

“We’ve got a great bunch of guys, we’ve got a fantastic group of guys with a lot of talent, we just haven’t been able to show how good we are,” he said.

“I think we need to stay strong together, I think we do need to stick together.

“We’ve played some good cricket, but very inconsistent and I think we need to continue to try and get better every day we get out of bed. We’re looking to improve as players and as a team.”