🔗 Share this article 766 and All That - When Cook Conquered Australia Alastair Cook's 766 runs scored by an English batsman during an Ashes series ranks second only to cricket legend Wally Hammond Senior Cricket Correspondent in Brisbane Released just now Brisbane hasn't been a place that offers the English team badly required hope for the Ashes Following the loss to the Australian side at the series start, England have to bounce back before heading to the famous Gabba, a ground where England have not won for decades Players representing England have often become outmatched opponents in Brisbane Cook's Memorable Success Among a recent history of broken English hopes, dreams and bodies exists a motivational tale provided by a shining knight This marks a decade and a half after the legendary Cook dominated in Brisbane with a career-defining unbeaten 235, preserving the initial Test of 2010-11 and setting England on course toward their sole series victory in Australia in the past 38 years Record-Breaking Performance It commenced of his successful tour of Australia; three hundreds and 766 runs Cricket great Hammond stands as the only Briton to score more runs in a series in this country England won 3-1, with every win via comprehensive wins They have not won a Test here since that historic campaign Looking Back "One tends to forget the tough times, the nervousness and anxiety involved in that achievement," the cricketer reflects "I reflect proudly. I played a significant part in a series when England won 3-1 in Australia with every match were won by an innings" The Road to Greatness His journey toward Australian glory commenced well before at the end of that year's Ashes in the UK England won, Cook averaged less than 25 achieving merely one performance over fifty He sought improvement "While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance does make you feel that personal responsibility matters," he explains Skill Development Two days after the triumphant events, he returned hitting hundreds and hundreds of balls in the nets alongside Graham Gooch Early outcomes proved positive He scored three centuries on overseas campaigns in South Africa and Bangladesh Crucial Turning Points Upon his return to home soil for that year's summer, Cook performed poorly Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his best performance was 29 On nought not out at the end of the second day's play of the third Test versus Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed this would be his last Test innings prior to selection "I was sitting in the hospitality area, attempting to discover the resolution through drinking," he admits Critical Moment His century ensured his position on the plane to Australia England continued their preparations by winning two and drawing one in practice matches down under As the opening match began at the famous ground, they were hit by a Siddle hat-trick Record-Breaking Stand An hour before the end of the third day, both batsmen started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs They reached 19-0 when play concluded and proceeded through a demonstration engraved in cricket memory "I don't remember the messages, our conversations," says Cook The opening pair accumulated 188 runs in their partnership The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance by an Englishman in Australia for 82 years Series Dominance The English took advantage of an incredible start in the second match in South Australia After Anderson also dismissed 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 featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian bowling Series Conclusion England could have retained the series in Western Australia, but Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction he would cause four years later What followed was possibly England's finest day in Ashes history down under At the MCG, the massive stadium of Australian sport, during Boxing Day, the Australian team were blown away for 98 "For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. Incredulity reigned at the end of the day," says Cook Series Conclusion Fuelled by the focus to secure the Ashes, the batsman performed brilliantly at the SCG His 189 contributed to England's 644, their best score in a Test in Australia The question was not if England would win both match and urn, but the timing "The feeling was unbelievable," recalls Cook "After Tremlett dismissed the final batsman to win the match, it represented an instant of absolute joy" Historical Significance The batsman received top accolades The following seven seasons in his international career were illuminated by additional achievements Post-cricket career, he received a knighthood for sporting achievements "{I couldn't have played any better|