Remembering 766 - When Cook Conquered Down Under
Sir Alastair's impressive 766 scored by an English batsman on an Ashes tour was only surpassed by Wally Hammond
Brisbane is not a city to give the Three Lions crucial hope for the Ashes
In the wake of losing to the hosts at the series start, the tourists need to regroup for a trip to the Gabba, a stadium where victory has eluded England since 1986
Men wearing three lions have frequently been lambs to the slaughter in Brisbane
The Inspirational Success
Throughout modern times of broken English hopes, dreams and bodies is a source of inspiration achieved by a cricket hero
It is exactly the 15th anniversary of Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane via a landmark unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match of 2010-11 and setting England on course to their only Ashes series win on Australian soil during recent memory
Record-Breaking Performance
This marked the start of the victorious circumnavigation of Australia; three hundreds totaling 766 runs
Wally Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign in this country
England won 3-1, where each success through innings victories
England hasn't achieved a Test here since those glory days
Personal Reflections
"One tends to forget the difficult moments, the tension and worry involved in that achievement," Cook recalls
"With pride I remember. I made an important impact during a campaign where England won 3-1 on Australian soil with every match were won by an innings"
Journey to Excellence
The path toward Australian glory started a year and a half before following the 2009 Ashes in the UK
Despite English victory, the opener had an average below 25 managing only one innings over fifty
He desired better
"Cricket is a team game, the individuality creates the sensation that personal responsibility matters," he states
Technical Transformation
Shortly after the triumphant events, he returned hitting hundreds and hundreds deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch
Early outcomes showed promise
The batsman achieved three hundred-run innings on overseas campaigns against South African and Bangladeshi teams
Career-Defining Moments
When Cook returned to England for the 2010 summer, the left-hander had a "stinker"
In eight innings against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance reached only 29
Without runs at the end of day two during the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval, Cook was convinced it might be his concluding international appearance before being dropped
"There I was at the bar, trying to find the solution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he reveals
Decisive Instance
His century secured his place on the plane to Australia
England continued their preparations by winning two and drawing one of their warm-up games on Australian soil
When the first Test arrived at the famous ground, they were hit by a Siddle hat-trick
Record-Breaking Stand
Just before the third day's close, Cook and Strauss started the English reply with a deficit of 221 runs
They achieved 19 without loss by day's end and proceeded with an exhibition engraved in cricket memory
"I cannot recall the messages, anything of what we spoke about," says Cook
Both left-handed batsmen accumulated 188 runs together
The 235 without dismissal represented the top score from an English player on Australian soil for 82 years
Series Dominance
England exploited an astonishing first morning in the second match at Adelaide
Following Anderson's additional wicket Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover
He continued his Brisbane success with 148 in a Test remembered for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian attack
The Final Triumph
England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, however Johnson to foreshadow the havoc he would cause four years later
The subsequent events included arguably England's best performance during Ashes competition down under
At the MCG, the enormous ground of Australian cricket, on the holiday, the home side were dismissed for 98
"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, it was that. Amazement prevailed as the day ended," says Cook
Ultimate Success
Motivated by purpose to secure the Ashes, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney
His score of 189 contributed to England's 644, their best score on Australian soil
The uncertainty wasn't if victory would come the game and series, rather when
"The environment was electric," recalls Cook
"After Tremlett dismissed the final batsman to win the match, that was a time of absolute joy"
Enduring Impact
The batsman received top accolades
The following seven seasons in his international career featured additional achievements
Post-cricket career, he received a knighthood for sporting achievements
"{I couldn't have played any better|