England's embarrassing list of unwanted records

Joe Root's England side have achieved a whole host of historic lows after relinquishing the Ashes to Australia.

Steve Smith's men reclaimed the Ashes on Monday by crushing England by an innings and 41 runs in the third Test in Perth.

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Australia ruthlessly took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series - needing just one session to roll the hapless tourists for 218 and reclaim the Ashes.

And while the only stat that matters is the 3-0 scoreline, England are now the proud owners of the following unwanted records:

• They have now lost eight-straight Tests at the WACA, equalling the world record for most consecutive losses by a country at any venue. Zimbabwe are the joint-record holders, losing their last eight Tests in Bulawayo since 2003. The Poms have played 14 total Tests at the WACA for just one victory in 1978.

• Monday's loss marked just the sixth time since 1877 that a team have lost by an innings after passing 400 runs in the first innings.

• Veteran opener Alastair Cook has now lost 14 Tests in Australia, equalling the record for most Test losses by an overseas player Down Under. Sir Jack Hobbs and Sachin Tendulkar also played in 14 losses in Australia, while Brian Lara had 13 and Jimmy Anderson has 12.

• Cook has scored just 83 runs so far in the series, the fewest over a three-Test period across his entire career.

• And he has now gone 10 innings in a row without passing 50, achieving the record for most career innings (272) before achieving that feat. Mahela Jayawardene (211) and Sachin Tendulkar (210) have previously held that record.

• Stuart Broad made the 24th duck of his career in Perth, taking back the England record from Anderson (23).

However there is cause for optimism - the Poms have gone 3-0 down in Australia three times since 1924, and gone on to win the next Ashes at home every time.

Vanquished England captain Joe Root believes his horror Ashes experience will make him a better skipper and player.

Root entered the series as one of the best batsmen in world cricket, but his return of 176 runs at an average of 29.33 over the first three Ashes Tests has cast doubt on his ability to handle the pressure.

In an embarrassing twist, much-maligned Aussie all-rounder Mitch Marsh has scored more runs (181) in one innings than Root has in six.

Root has also been forced to deal with a series of off-field scandals that has taken his attention away from the job at hand.

First, star all-rounder Ben Stokes was arrested before the series even began following an alleged fight outside a Bristol nightclub.

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow then had to explain his actions after greeting Cameron Bancroft with a headbutt at a Perth night spot.

And the tour went from bad to worse after fringe player Ben Duckett was punished for pouring a beer over senior teammate Jimmy Anderson.

Root is now facing the very real prospect of overseeing a 5-0 series whitewash, with the futures of senior players Broad, Moeen Ali, and Cook all in the spotlight.

The 26-year-old said it was bitterly disappointing to lose the Ashes, but vowed to learn from the experience.

"As a captain, you take a lot of responsibility," Root said.

"You're always learning, you're always finding things out about yourself and your team. That can only make me a better player and a better captain."

with AAP