🔗 Share this article Remembering 766 - When Cook Conquered Australia Alastair Cook's impressive 766 scored by an English batsman on an Ashes tour ranks second only to the great Wally Hammond Chief Cricket Reporter in Brisbane Published 45 minutes ago The Queensland capital isn't a place that offers England crucial confidence in the series After defeat by the Australian side at the series start, the tourists need to regroup before heading to Brisbane's Gabba, a stadium where England have not won for decades Men wearing three lions have habitually been outmatched opponents in Brisbane The Inspirational Achievement Among a recent history of broken English hopes, aspirations and players exists a motivational tale provided by a cricket hero It is exactly the 15th anniversary of Sir Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba through a defining 235 without loss, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series paving England's path for their unique Ashes triumph in Australia in the past 38 years Historic Achievement It was the beginning of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three centuries totaling 766 runs The legendary Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs in a series on Australian soil The English triumphed 3-1, with every win via comprehensive wins They have not won a Test victory there since that memorable series Looking Back "You forget the challenging periods, the apprehension and concern accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects "I reflect proudly. I played a significant part in a series when England triumphed 3-1 on Australian soil where each victory was achieved comprehensively" The Road to Greatness Cook's road to down under success commenced well before at the end of the 2009 series on home soil Though England triumphed, the opening batsman had an average below 25 with just one score above 50 He desired better "Cricket is a team game, personal performance does make you feel like you want to pull your weight," he states Skill Development Just 48 hours following the victory celebrations, he returned practicing numerous of balls in the nets alongside Graham Gooch Beginning performances proved positive He scored three hundreds during winter tours against South African and Bangladeshi teams Pivotal Instances After coming back to home soil for the 2010 summer, the batsman struggled significantly Across eight appearances against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score reached only 29 Without runs after the second day of the third Test against Pakistan at The Oval, the batsman felt certain 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 reveals Decisive Instance Cook's 110 secured his place in the squad down under Preparation continued through successful warm-ups during preparatory contests down under When the first Test arrived in Brisbane, they encountered Peter Siddle's hat-trick Historic Partnership An hour before the end of the third day, the opening pair began England's second batting effort trailing by 221 runs They achieved 19 without loss by day's end then continued through a demonstration etched in Ashes folklore "I cannot recall the messages, anything of what we spoke about," Cook remembers Both left-handed batsmen added 188 together The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance achieved by a Briton on Australian soil for 82 years Series Dominance England exploited an astonishing first morning during the following Test in Adelaide When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, the score read 2-3 and struggled throughout The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics with 148 in a Test remembered highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian attack Series Conclusion England could have retained the series in Western Australia, but Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction from future encounters The subsequent events included perhaps England's single greatest day of Ashes cricket down under At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the enormous ground of Australian cricket, on the holiday, the hosts were blown away for 98 "If perfection existed for Boxing Day, it was that. Incredulity reigned when play concluded," says Cook Ultimate Success Fuelled by the focus to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly at the SCG The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their record innings on Australian soil The question was not if victory would come the game and series, but when "The atmosphere was incredible," recalls Cook "After Tremlett dismissed the last player to win the match, it was a moment of absolute joy" Historical Significance Cook was player of the series The subsequent seven years in his international career featured further accomplishments After retiring internationally, he was honored for services to cricket "{I couldn't have played any better|