The world's best batsman led from the front with his second man of the match award in three matches and was on Monday night digesting the greatest moment of his two years at the helm as Australia's full-time captain.

"I was crying in the sheds a bit a minute ago. Everything just came out," Smith told ABC radio.

"We have worked incredibly hard. It has been a great couple of weeks and I am really proud of everyone back in that room."

Smith opened the series with a fighting hundred, his slowest in Test cricket, at the Gabba, and added his fastest ever in Perth en route to a magnificent, career-high 239 that along with Mitchell Marsh's 181 changed the course of the match irrevocably.

In between, he was under the pump for his captaincy in Adelaide, specifically his decision not to enforce the follow-on on the third evening when Australia had England on the back foot. The team ultimately won comfortably there but even as he re-wrote the post-Bradman record books with his run-scoring Smith knew the job was not done until the Ashes had been won.

"It was my first Ashes series as captain and I wanted to make that mark and do something really special," Smith said at his post-match news conference.

"I've really enjoyed every moment of it. We've put in so much hard work, the preparation and everything that has come with this series. It's been huge to know that everything has worked and we've been able to get that urn back.

"What the boys have done over the past couple of weeks has been exceptional. England have had their foot in the door....and we've been able to claw our way back. When we've done that we've been able to put our foot on the throat."

Smith also paid tribute to Australia's selectors, who have been criticised for many of their choices in recent times. In this series every move the panel has made, even the most questionable, has seemingly turned to gold.

Of the contentious selection decisions Shaun Marsh has locked away his spot in the top six, starring with a match-defining century in Adelaide, Tim Paine has been tidy as a wicketkeeper and a hassle for England as a batsman, Cameron Bancroft has been solid at the top of the order and Mitchell Marsh, brought in at the WACA, looked a new man with a powerful maiden Test ton.

"Each of the guys they have picked have come in and done a fabulous job," Smith said of the selectors. "They cop it a lot of the time but have to be given a lot of credit."

"Painey has been, I guess, mentioned as probably the best 'keeper in the country for a long period of time," Smith said. "The way he has kept has been exceptional, the way he has batted has been exceptional.

"I know (Western Australia coach) Justin Langer was saying for a while that Shaun was in the best form of his life and he's come in and done a terrific job. We've sen every time he's gone out the to the middle he's looked good."

For Mitchell Marsh, the situation he had now found himself in was barely believable.

"It feels like I need to take my parachute off," the younger Marsh said. "I just parachuted in for the third Test and we've won the Ashes."