766 and All That - When Cook Conquered Down Under
The legendary impressive 766 by an Englishman on an Ashes tour was only surpassed by cricket legend Wally Hammond
Brisbane hasn't been a location providing the English team some much-needed hope for the Ashes
Following the loss to the Australian side at the series start, the tourists must stir themselves ahead of visiting Brisbane's Gabba, a stadium where England have not won for decades
Players representing England have habitually been easy prey at the Gabbatoir
Cook's Memorable Triumph
Throughout modern times of broken English hopes, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale delivered by an exceptional player
This marks 15 years since Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark 235 not out, saving the first Test from the 2010-11 series paving England's path toward their sole series victory in Australia in the past 38 years
Record-Breaking Performance
It commenced of Cook's triumphant Australian campaign; three centuries and 766 runs
Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman to score more runs during a Test series in this country
Victory came 3-1, with all victories via comprehensive wins
England hasn't achieved a Test here since that historic campaign
Looking Back
"People overlook the challenging periods, the nervousness and anxiety that went into that," the cricketer reflects
"I look back with pride. I made an important impact during a campaign where England won 3-1 down under with every match were won by an innings"
Path to Success
The path toward Australian glory began 18 months earlier at the end of that year's Ashes on home soil
England won, the opening batsman scored under 25 per innings managing only one innings above 50
He sought improvement
"Despite cricket's collective nature, personal performance generates the feeling like you want to pull your weight," he explains
Game Improvement
Two days after the celebrations, he was back at work facing countless of balls in the nets with Graham Gooch
The initial results proved positive
The batsman achieved three hundred-run innings during winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh
Career-Defining Moments
After coming back to British conditions during the 2010 season, Cook performed poorly
Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his highest score totaled just 29 runs
Without runs after the second day's play in the third match against Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed he was playing his concluding international appearance ahead of potential omission
"There I was at the bar, seeking the resolution through drinking," he confesses
The Turning Point
His century secured his place for the Australian tour
The team maintained preparations with two victories and one draw in practice matches in Australia
Come the first Test in Brisbane, they encountered a Siddle hat-trick
Memorable Collaboration
Shortly prior to the third day's close, the opening pair started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs
They reached 19-0 by day's end then continued with an exhibition etched in Ashes folklore
"I don't remember any instructions, anything of what we spoke about," Cook remembers
Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 for the first wicket
Cook's 235 not out represented the top score from an English player in Australia for 82 years
Total Command
England exploited a remarkable opening session in the second match in Adelaide
When Anderson also nicked off the opposition player, the score read 2-3 and struggled throughout
He continued his Queensland achievement with 148 in a Test remembered for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian bowling
Ultimate Victory
England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, however Johnson to foreshadow the havoc he would cause four years later
Then came arguably England's best performance in Ashes history in Australia
In Melbourne, the massive stadium of Australian sport, during Boxing Day, the home side were dismissed for 98
"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, that defined it. Amazement prevailed at the end of the day," Cook remembers
Ultimate Success
Motivated by purpose to secure the Ashes, the batsman performed brilliantly at the SCG
The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their best score on Australian soil
The question was not whether England would triumph both match and urn, but when
"The atmosphere was incredible," Cook remembers
"When Tremlett got the last player to secure victory, it was a moment of pure elation"
Historical Significance
He earned series honors
The following seven seasons of his cricket journey included further accomplishments
Following his international retirement, he received a knighthood for sporting achievements
"{I couldn't have played any better|