🔗 Share this article The Legend of 766 - Cook's Dominance of the Australian Team Alastair Cook's 766 runs by an Englishman during an Ashes series was only surpassed by the great Wally Hammond Lead Cricket Journalist reporting from Brisbane Posted 45 minutes ago Brisbane is not a place that offers the English team some much-needed Ashes optimism In the wake of losing to the hosts during the opening match, the visiting team need to regroup for a trip to Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where England have not won for decades English cricketers have habitually been lambs to the slaughter in Brisbane Cook's Memorable Success Within recent memory of English disappointments, dreams and bodies exists a motivational tale provided by a shining knight Today commemorates 15 years since Sir Alastair Cook mastered the Gabba through a defining 235 without loss, preserving the initial Test of 2010-11 and setting England on course toward their sole series victory in Australia during recent memory Unforgettable Series It was the beginning of the victorious circumnavigation of Australia; three hundred-plus scores totaling 766 runs Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman to score more runs throughout a campaign on Australian soil England won 3-1, with all victories via comprehensive wins The team hasn't secured a Test victory there since those glory days Personal Reflections "You forget the difficult moments, the tension and worry accompanying that success," Cook remembers "I reflect proudly. My contribution was substantial during a campaign where England triumphed 3-1 in Australia where each victory came through innings wins" Journey to Excellence The path to his Australian epic began 18 months earlier at the end of the 2009 series in England Though England triumphed, the opening batsman averaged less than 25 with just one score exceeding half-century He sought improvement "While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance does make you feel that you must contribute adequately," he explains Skill Development Just 48 hours following the victory celebrations, he returned practicing numerous deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch Early outcomes proved positive The batsman achieved three centuries during winter tours against South African and Bangladeshi teams Crucial Turning Points After coming back to British conditions for the 2010 summer, the batsman performed poorly In eight innings against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance was 29 On nought not out at the end of the second day of the third Test facing Pakistan at the famous ground, the batsman felt certain this would be his last Test innings ahead of potential omission "I was sitting in the bar, attempting to discover the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits The Turning Point His century secured his place on the plane to Australia England continued their preparations with two victories and one draw of their warm-up games down under Come the first Test at the Gabba, they faced three wickets from Siddle Historic Partnership Just before the end of the third day, Cook and Strauss started the English reply with a deficit of 221 runs The score stood at 19-0 by day's end and followed up with a performance etched in Ashes folklore "I don't remember any instructions, anything of what we spoke about," recalls Cook The left-handers accumulated 188 runs for the first wicket Cook's 235 not out represented the top score by an Englishman down under in eight decades Complete Control England exploited a remarkable opening session during the following Test in South Australia Following Anderson's additional wicket Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover He continued his Queensland achievement through a 148-run innings in a Test remembered highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian bowling The Final Triumph England could have retained the urn in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc from future encounters What followed was arguably England's best performance of Ashes cricket in Australia In Melbourne, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian sport, on the holiday, the Australian team were blown away for 98 "If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. There was disbelief at the end of the day," says Cook Series Conclusion Driven by determination to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly at the SCG The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their best score during Australian Tests The debate didn't concern whether England would triumph the game and series, rather when "The feeling was unbelievable," Cook remembers "Following Tremlett's wicket of Michael Beer to secure victory, that was a time of pure elation" Legacy and Recognition The batsman received top accolades The following seven seasons of his Test career were illuminated by additional achievements Post-cricket career, he received a knighthood for services to cricket "{I couldn't have played any better|