🔗 Share this article Remembering 766 - Cook's Dominance of the Australian Team The legendary impressive 766 from an English player on an Ashes tour is only bettered by Wally Hammond Lead Cricket Journalist based in Brisbane Published just now Brisbane hasn't been a city to give England some much-needed Ashes optimism Following the loss to the Australian side at the series start, England have to bounce back for a trip to the Gabba, a ground where England have not won since 1986 Men wearing three lions have often become outmatched opponents at this challenging venue The Inspirational Triumph Within recent memory of dashed English dreams, hopes and athletes is a source of inspiration delivered by a cricket hero It is exactly a decade and a half after Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane via a landmark unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match during that famous series establishing England's trajectory to their only Ashes series win down under in the past 38 years Unforgettable Series It commenced of Cook's triumphant Australian campaign; three centuries and 766 runs Wally Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs throughout a campaign in this country The English triumphed 3-1, with every win via comprehensive wins They have not won a Test here since that historic campaign Personal Reflections "You forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry that went into that," Cook remembers "I reflect proudly. I made an important impact in a series when England won 3-1 down under with every match were won by an innings" Path to Success The path to down under success started a year and a half before after the 2009 Ashes in England England won, Cook averaged less than 25 managing only one innings above 50 He wanted more "While cricket involves teamwork, the individuality does make you feel like you want to pull your weight," he states Game Improvement Just 48 hours following the victory celebrations, he was back at work practicing numerous deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch Early outcomes showed promise The batsman achieved three hundreds on the 2009-10 winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh Career-Defining Moments When Cook returned to home soil for that year's summer, the batsman performed poorly During eight batting opportunities versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score reached only 29 Scoreless overnight after day two in the third match facing Pakistan at the famous ground, the batsman felt certain he was playing his last Test innings ahead of potential omission "I was sitting at the bar, seeking the solution through drinking," he admits The Turning Point His century ensured his position for the Australian tour The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one in practice matches down under As the opening match began at the Gabba, they encountered Peter Siddle's hat-trick Memorable Collaboration Just before the third day's close, both batsmen opened England's second innings needing to overcome 221 runs They reached 19-0 by day's end and followed up with a performance remembered in Ashes history "I cannot recall any instructions, our conversations," Cook remembers Both left-handed batsmen added 188 for the first wicket Cook's 235 not out represented the top score achieved by a Briton on Australian soil for 82 years Complete Control England exploited an incredible start of the second Test in Adelaide When Anderson also nicked off Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and struggled throughout The batsman proceeded his Queensland achievement by scoring 148 in a Test remembered for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the opposition bowlers Ultimate Victory England could have retained the series in Western Australia, but Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction that would come later The subsequent events included arguably England's best performance during Ashes competition down under At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the enormous ground of sports down under, and on Boxing Day, the hosts collapsed to 98 all out "If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. Incredulity reigned at the end of the day," Cook remembers Ultimate Success Fuelled by the focus to secure the Ashes, Cook excelled once more at the Sydney Cricket Ground The 189-run innings lifted England to 644, their record innings on Australian soil The question was not if England would win the game and series, rather when "The environment was electric," says Cook "When Tremlett got the last player to claim triumph, it represented an instant of pure elation" Historical Significance The batsman received top accolades The subsequent seven years of his cricket journey featured further accomplishments Following his international retirement, he was honored for services to cricket "{I couldn't have played any better|