Reduced to a mere spectator due to an Achilles' injury, explosive batsman Kevin Pietersen said it was frustrating and "nerve-wracking" to watch England's Ashes triumph from the sidelines.
"Test matches against Australia, watching them is unbelievable. When you're participating you feel a lot more in control," he told 'Sky Sports'.
"When you're watching, it's so nerve-wracking because you can't do anything. Coming to the ground this afternoon for the first time I thought, 'I'd love to be playing now'," he added.
"But I've realised that I'm injured, I'm out of it and I've tried to be as headstrong as I can to just watch it."
Pietersen lavished praise on debutant Jonathan Trott, who scored a hundred in the second innings.
"He played beautifully. I was asked my opinion by Strauss after the fourth Test and I said, 'I think Trott's your man - he'll have courage, he'll have guts, he'll have determination'.
"To get an opportunity, you need to take an opportunity, and I knew he'd take it because of how calm he is," he said.
Pietersen said he was targetting the winter tour of South Africa for a return to international cricket.
"I'm looking at the South Africa tour (for my comeback), waiting for the wound to heal and seeing a surgeon every second day," said Pietersen.
"I can't wait to get back into this team. We need to learn from the mistakes of 2005 and build on this and really start dominating," he added.