🔗 Share this article Remembering 766 - Cook's Dominance of Australia Sir Alastair's impressive 766 from an English player on an Ashes tour is only bettered by the great Wally Hammond Chief Cricket Reporter reporting from Brisbane Released recently Brisbane hasn't been a location providing the English team crucial Ashes optimism In the wake of losing to the Australian side at the series start, England have to bounce back ahead of visiting the Gabba, a ground where England have not won for decades English cricketers have habitually been easy prey at this challenging venue A Shining Knight's Success Throughout modern times of English disappointments, aspirations and players is a source of inspiration delivered by a cricket hero This marks the 15th anniversary of Sir Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark unbeaten 235, preserving the initial Test from the 2010-11 series paving England's path to their only Ashes series win on Australian soil in the past 38 years Historic Achievement It was the beginning of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three hundreds accumulating 766 runs The legendary Hammond remains the sole English player who has made more runs during a Test series down under England won 3-1, with every win by an innings They have not won a Test here since those glory days Cook's Memories "One tends to forget the difficult moments, the nervousness and anxiety that went into that," Cook remembers "With pride I remember. My contribution was substantial in a series when England won 3-1 down under and all three games was achieved comprehensively" Journey to Excellence His journey to down under success began 18 months earlier at the end of that year's Ashes in England Though England triumphed, the opening batsman scored under 25 per innings managing only one innings exceeding half-century He sought improvement "Cricket is a team game, the individuality does make you feel that you must contribute adequately," he explains Skill Development Two days after the victory celebrations, he was back at work practicing numerous of balls in the nets with Graham Gooch Early outcomes showed promise Cook made three hundreds during winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh Crucial Turning Points Upon his return to British conditions during the 2010 season, Cook performed poorly In eight innings facing these opponents, his top innings was 29 Scoreless overnight following the second day in the third match against Pakistan in London, Cook was convinced he was playing his final Test performance prior to selection "There I was at the bar, seeking the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits Decisive Instance The 110-run innings ensured his position for the Australian tour The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one during preparatory contests in Australia As the opening match began at the famous ground, they were hit by three wickets from Siddle Historic Partnership Shortly prior to the third day's close, both batsmen started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs They reached 19-0 by day's end and followed up through a demonstration engraved in cricket memory "My memory doesn't retain specific guidance, our conversations," says Cook Both left-handed batsmen added 188 for the first wicket Cook's 235 not out stood as the best performance by an Englishman in Australia for 82 years Series Dominance England capitalised on an astonishing first morning of the second Test at Adelaide After Anderson also dismissed Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and never recovered The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics through a 148-run innings in a famous match featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian bowling Ultimate Victory The English might have secured the Ashes in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc he would cause four years later What followed was possibly England's finest day during Ashes competition in Australia At the MCG, the enormous ground of Australian sport, and on Boxing Day, the Australian team were dismissed for 98 "If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. Amazement prevailed at the end of the day," Cook remembers Ultimate Success Fuelled by the focus to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their record innings on Australian soil The question was not if England would win both match and urn, but when "The atmosphere was incredible," recalls Cook "When Tremlett got the final batsman to claim triumph, it represented an instant of absolute joy" Enduring Impact The batsman received top accolades The subsequent seven years of his Test career were illuminated by other milestones Following his international retirement, he received a knighthood for cricket contributions "{I couldn't have played any better|