766 and All That - When Cook Conquered the Australian Team

Brisbane is not a city to give England some much-needed Ashes optimism

Following the loss to the Australian side in the first Test, England have to bounce back before heading to the famous Gabba, a venue where England have not won for over thirty years

Players representing England have often become outmatched opponents at this challenging venue

Cook's Memorable Success

Throughout modern times of dashed English dreams, aspirations and players lies an inspirational story delivered by an exceptional player

It is exactly a decade and a half after Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane through a defining unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match during that famous series and setting England on course toward their sole series victory in Australia over nearly four decades

Record-Breaking Performance

It was the beginning of the victorious circumnavigation of Australia; three hundred-plus scores and 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman with higher run totals during a Test series down under

England won 3-1, where each success through innings victories

England hasn't achieved success at this venue since those glory days

Cook's Memories

"You forget the difficult moments, the tension and worry involved in that achievement," Cook remembers

"I look back with pride. My contribution was substantial in a series when the English secured a 3-1 victory down under where each victory came through innings wins"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory started a year and a half before at the end of the 2009 series in the UK

England won, the opening batsman averaged less than 25 achieving merely one performance over fifty

He desired better

"Cricket is a team game, individual contribution does make you feel that you must contribute adequately," he states

Skill Development

Shortly after the celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds bowls during training with Graham Gooch

Early outcomes were encouraging

Cook made three centuries during winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh

Career-Defining Moments

After coming back to England for that year's summer, Cook performed poorly

Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his top innings reached only 29

Scoreless overnight after the second day's play during the final Test versus Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed this would be his concluding international appearance before being dropped

"I was sitting in the bar, trying to find the solution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits

Critical Moment

Cook's 110 guaranteed his seat in the squad down under

The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one in practice matches in Australia

When the first Test arrived at the Gabba, they faced a Siddle hat-trick

Historic Partnership

Just before the end of the third day, the opening pair began England's second batting effort with a deficit of 221 runs

They reached 19-0 at stumps and followed up with a performance remembered in Ashes history

"I cannot recall the messages, our discussions," recalls Cook

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 for the first wicket

The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance by an Englishman down under in eight decades

Series Dominance

England capitalised on an incredible start in the second match at Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off the opposition player, Australia were 2-3 and couldn't recover

The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics through a 148-run innings in a Test remembered for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian bowling

Ultimate Victory

The English might have secured the Ashes in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction from future encounters

What followed was perhaps England's single greatest day in Ashes history down under

At the MCG, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian cricket, on the holiday, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

"If perfection existed for Boxing Day, that defined it. There was disbelief at the end of the day," says Cook

Ultimate Success

Fuelled by the focus to claim victory, Cook was at it again at the SCG

His score of 189 helped England reach 644, their best score on Australian soil

The debate didn't concern if England would win both match and urn, but the timing

"The environment was electric," says Cook

"When Tremlett got the final batsman to secure victory, it represented an instant of absolute joy"

Legacy and Recognition

Cook was player of the series

The following seven seasons in his international career were illuminated by other milestones

Following his international retirement, he received a knighthood for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|