The Legend of 766 - When Cook Conquered the Australian Team
Alastair Cook's impressive 766 by an Englishman on an Ashes tour ranks second only to cricket legend Wally Hammond
The Queensland capital isn't a city to give the Three Lions badly required confidence in the series
In the wake of losing to the Australian side during the opening match, the visiting team 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
A Shining Knight's Triumph
Within recent memory of English disappointments, hopes and athletes is a source of inspiration provided by a shining knight
Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of the legendary Cook dominated in Brisbane via a landmark unbeaten 235, preserving the initial Test from the 2010-11 series paving England's path toward their sole series victory on Australian soil over nearly four decades
Historic Achievement
This marked the start of his successful tour of Australia; three hundreds and 766 runs
Wally Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign in this country
The English triumphed 3-1, where each success by an innings
England hasn't achieved a Test here since that historic campaign
Looking Back
"One tends to forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry that went into that," Cook remembers
"I look back with pride. I made an important impact during a campaign where the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil and all three games came through innings wins"
Journey to Excellence
His journey to down under success commenced well before at the end of that year's Ashes in England
England won, the opener scored under 25 per innings managing only one innings over fifty
He wanted more
"Cricket is a team game, individual contribution generates the feeling that personal responsibility matters," he states
Skill Development
Shortly after the triumphant events, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds deliveries in practice under Graham Gooch's guidance
Beginning performances showed promise
He scored three hundreds on the 2009-10 winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh
Career-Defining Moments
When Cook returned to home soil for that year's summer, the batsman had a "stinker"
Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his highest score was 29
On nought not out following the second day's play of the third Test against Pakistan at The Oval, the batsman felt certain this would be his concluding international appearance prior to selection
"I found myself at the bar, attempting to discover the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits
Critical Moment
Cook's 110 guaranteed his seat on the plane to Australia
England continued their preparations through successful warm-ups in practice matches on Australian soil
As the opening match began in Brisbane, they were hit by a Siddle hat-trick
Memorable Collaboration
Shortly prior to the end of the third day, the opening pair opened England's second innings trailing by 221 runs
The score stood at 19-0 when play concluded then continued with a performance etched in Ashes folklore
"My memory doesn't retain the messages, our discussions," recalls Cook
The left-handers accumulated 188 runs in their partnership
The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance from an English player down under in eight decades
Complete Control
The English took advantage of an incredible start during the following Test in South Australia
After Anderson also dismissed the Australian batsman, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover
The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics through a 148-run innings in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the opposition bowlers
Series Conclusion
Victory was possible the series in Western Australia, only for Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction he would cause four years later
The subsequent events included arguably England's best performance during Ashes competition down under
At the MCG, the massive stadium of Australian cricket, during Boxing Day, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out
"For ideal Boxing Days, this was it. There was disbelief when play concluded," says Cook
Series Conclusion
Fuelled by the focus to secure the Ashes, Cook was at it again in Sydney
His score of 189 contributed to England's 644, their record innings during Australian Tests
The debate didn't concern whether England would triumph both match and urn, rather when
"The atmosphere was incredible," Cook remembers
"Following Tremlett's wicket of Michael Beer to win the match, it represented an instant of pure elation"
Historical Significance
Cook was player of the series
The remaining seven years of his cricket journey included additional achievements
After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions
"{I couldn't have played any better|