Remembering 766 - Cook's Dominance of the Australian Team

Brisbane is not a place that offers England crucial confidence in the series

Following the loss to the Australian side at the series start, the tourists need to regroup for a trip to Brisbane's Gabba, a ground where England have not won for over thirty years

Players representing England have frequently been easy prey at this challenging venue

A Shining Knight's Achievement

Among a recent history of English disappointments, dreams and bodies exists a motivational tale delivered by an exceptional player

Today commemorates a decade and a half after Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane through a defining unbeaten 235, saving the first Test of 2010-11 establishing England's trajectory for their unique Ashes triumph in Australia during recent memory

Unforgettable Series

It was the beginning of his successful tour of Australia; three hundred-plus scores totaling 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman to score more runs in a series on Australian soil

England won 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins

England hasn't achieved a Test here since those glory days

Personal Reflections

"People overlook the difficult moments, the nervousness and anxiety that went into that," Cook recalls

"I look back with pride. My contribution was substantial in a tournament that saw the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil with every match were won by an innings"

The Road to Greatness

Cook's road toward Australian glory started a year and a half before after the 2009 series in England

Despite English victory, the opening batsman had an average below 25 achieving merely one performance above 50

He sought improvement

"While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance does make you feel like you want to pull your weight," he explains

Technical Transformation

Two days after the celebrations, he was back practicing numerous deliveries in practice with Graham Gooch

The initial results were encouraging

Cook made three centuries during winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh

Pivotal Instances

After coming back to England for the 2010 summer, the batsman performed poorly

During eight batting opportunities facing these opponents, his top innings totaled just 29 runs

Scoreless overnight at the end of day two during the final Test facing Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook believed this would be his last Test innings ahead of potential omission

"I was sitting at the bar, seeking the resolution through drinking," he confesses

Decisive Instance

Cook's 110 guaranteed his seat for the Australian tour

Preparation continued through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games in Australia

As the opening match began in Brisbane, they faced Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Historic Partnership

Just before the end of the third day, the opening pair opened England's second innings with a deficit of 221 runs

They reached 19-0 by day's end then continued with an exhibition engraved in cricket memory

"My memory doesn't retain any instructions, our conversations," recalls Cook

The opening pair added 188 for the first wicket

Cook's 235 not out was the highest score from an English player down under since the 1930s

Total Command

England capitalised on an astonishing first morning in the second match in Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, the hosts stood at 2-3 and never recovered

He continued his Brisbane heroics by scoring 148 in a Test remembered featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian bowling

The Final Triumph

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 of Ashes cricket down under

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian cricket, on the holiday, the Australian team were dismissed for 98

"For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. There was disbelief as the day ended," Cook remembers

The Final Victory

Driven by determination to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly at the SCG

His 189 contributed to England's 644, their best score on Australian soil

The question was not if victory would come both match and urn, but when

"The feeling was unbelievable," recalls Cook

"When Tremlett got Michael Beer to secure victory, it was a moment of complete happiness"

Legacy and Recognition

The batsman received top accolades

The subsequent seven years of his cricket journey included additional achievements

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for sporting achievements

"{I couldn't have played any better|