766 and All That - When Cook Conquered the Australian Team
Alastair Cook's 766 runs scored by an English batsman during an Ashes series ranks second only to the great Wally Hammond
Brisbane hasn't been a city to give the English team badly required hope for the Ashes
After defeat by the hosts during the opening match, the visiting team must stir themselves ahead of visiting the famous Gabba, a venue where England have not won since 1986
English cricketers have frequently been lambs to the slaughter at the Gabbatoir
The Inspirational Success
Within recent memory of dashed English dreams, dreams and bodies is a source of inspiration delivered by an exceptional player
It is exactly the 15th anniversary of Alastair Cook mastered the Gabba via a landmark unbeaten 235, saving the first Test of 2010-11 establishing England's trajectory toward their sole series victory down under over nearly four decades
Record-Breaking Performance
This marked the start of the victorious circumnavigation of Australia; three hundreds accumulating 766 runs
The legendary Hammond is the only Englishman with higher run totals in a series in this country
Victory came 3-1, with all victories by an innings
England hasn't achieved a Test victory there since that memorable series
Personal Reflections
"One tends to forget the difficult moments, the nervousness and anxiety that went into that," Cook remembers
"I reflect proudly. I made an important impact during a campaign where England triumphed 3-1 in Australia where each victory came through innings wins"
The Road to Greatness
Cook's road to his Australian epic started a year and a half before after that year's Ashes in the UK
Though England triumphed, the opening batsman averaged less than 25 managing only one innings above 50
He sought improvement
"Cricket is a team game, personal performance generates the feeling that you must contribute adequately," he notes
Technical Transformation
Two days after the celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch
Early outcomes proved positive
The batsman achieved three hundreds on the 2009-10 winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh
Pivotal Instances
When Cook returned to England for the 2010 summer, Cook had a "stinker"
Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his highest score totaled just 29 runs
Scoreless overnight after day two during the final Test facing Pakistan at The Oval, Cook was convinced this would be his final Test performance ahead of potential omission
"I was sitting at the bar, seeking the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he confesses
The Turning Point
Cook's 110 secured his place for the Australian tour
The team maintained preparations through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games down under
As the opening match began at the Gabba, they encountered a Siddle hat-trick
Record-Breaking Stand
An hour before day three's conclusion, both batsmen started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs
They achieved 19 without loss by day's end then continued with a performance engraved in cricket memory
"My memory doesn't retain any instructions, our conversations," Cook remembers
Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 in their partnership
Cook's 235 not out represented the top score by an Englishman down under for 82 years
Total Command
England capitalised on a remarkable opening session in the second match in South Australia
Following Anderson's additional wicket Michael Clarke, the score read 2-3 and never recovered
He continued his Brisbane success through a 148-run innings in a famous match featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian attack
Series Conclusion
England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction he would cause four years later
Then came possibly England's finest day in Ashes history on Australian soil
In Melbourne, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian cricket, on the holiday, the home side were dismissed for 98
"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, it was that. There was disbelief at the end of the day," Cook remembers
Series Conclusion
Motivated by purpose to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney
The 189-run innings lifted England to 644, their best score during Australian Tests
The uncertainty wasn't whether England would triumph both match and urn, but when
"The atmosphere was incredible," recalls Cook
"Following Tremlett's wicket of the last player to claim triumph, it represented an instant of absolute joy"
Legacy and Recognition
He earned series honors
The following seven seasons in his international career were illuminated by further accomplishments
After retiring internationally, he was honored for cricket contributions
"{I couldn't have played any better|