Behind every successful captain is his wife?

Relishing a dramatic turnaround of fortunes in the series against India, England captain Alastair Cook has said it was his wife who convinced him not to give up captaincy when his team was on a losing streak.

Cook reveals details of England's recipe for revival...

"Without my wife, I don't think I'd be standing here as captain. You don't often say things like that -- I don't know why I just have -- but it's the way I feel," an emotional Cook told BBC Test Match Special after his side steamrolled India in the fifth and final Test to clinch the series 3-1.

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Cook was running out of time, excuses and places to hide after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's India became the latest side to expose his weaknesses with a thumping victory at Lord's to open a 1-0 lead in their five-match series.

His bright start to life as England captain at the end of 2012 now appears like a dim and distant memory as Dhoni carried on a trend started by Australia's Michael Clarke before handing the baton on to Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews.

Cook's poor form and questionable leadership have come under intense scrutiny with some critics suggesting he should give up his place at the top of England's batting order and take a break from the game following Monday's painful 95-run defeat.

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Cook's malaise began with the 5-0 Ashes rout in Australia, continued when a modest Sri Lanka eked out a 1-0 series win in England earlier this summer and was amplified by being forced to eat humble pie by an average Indian attack in his own backyard.

Cook said it was his wife Alice who convinced him to remain as captain and lead England to victory over India.

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The England captain admitted that he considered his position after losing to Sri Lanka at Headingley and then to India at Lord's as England went 1-0 down in the series.

"You can bare your soul quite often to Alice and she's very good at getting me back on the straight and narrow. That fourth night at Headingley was a tough place because we had let a winning position slip. Lord's was also very tough – the way we lost there in conditions that were suited to us," Cook said.

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"But I'm quite stubborn -- I believe in my ability. I stuck in there through the tough times. Sport tests your character and to bounce back as a team is testament to our character," he said.

Defeat at Lord's had extended England's winless run to 10 Tests and prompted widespread calls for an out-of-form Cook to stand down.

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However, Cook bounced back with three fifties in four innings as England beat India at Southampton before completing a remarkable comeback with victories inside three days at Old Trafford and The Oval.

"English cricket needed a series win and to deliver like we have delivered puts a big smile on our face," he said.