766 and All That - When Cook Conquered Australia
The legendary impressive 766 by an Englishman on an Ashes tour is only bettered by the great Wally Hammond
The Queensland capital isn't a location providing England badly required confidence in the series
Following the loss to the Australian side during the opening match, England need to regroup before heading to the Gabba, a venue where England have not won for over thirty years
Players representing England have habitually been easy prey at this challenging venue
A Shining Knight's Triumph
Within recent memory of dashed English dreams, aspirations and players is a source of inspiration delivered by a cricket hero
This marks a decade and a half after Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba with a career-defining 235 not out, saving the first Test during that famous series paving England's path for their unique Ashes triumph on Australian soil in the past 38 years
Record-Breaking Performance
It commenced of Cook's triumphant Australian campaign; three centuries accumulating 766 runs
Wally Hammond remains the sole English player with higher run totals during a Test series in this country
Victory came 3-1, where each success through innings victories
England hasn't achieved a Test here since that historic campaign
Looking Back
"People overlook the tough times, the tension and worry involved in that achievement," the cricketer reflects
"I look back with pride. I made an important impact in a tournament that saw England triumphed 3-1 in Australia with every match came through innings wins"
Journey to Excellence
Cook's road toward Australian glory commenced well before after the 2009 Ashes on home soil
Despite English victory, the opening batsman had an average below 25 managing only one innings over fifty
He desired better
"While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance creates the sensation like you want to pull your weight," he notes
Game Improvement
Shortly after the victory celebrations, he was back practicing numerous deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch
Early outcomes were encouraging
The batsman achieved three hundreds on overseas campaigns to South Africa and Bangladesh
Pivotal Instances
Upon his return to home soil during the 2010 season, the left-hander struggled significantly
Across eight appearances against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance reached only 29
Without runs at the end of the second day's play of the third Test against Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed he was playing his last Test innings before being dropped
"I was sitting in the hospitality area, trying to find the solution through drinking," he admits
The Turning Point
Cook's 110 secured his place in the squad down under
England continued their preparations with two victories and one draw of their warm-up games on Australian soil
Come the first Test at the Gabba, they encountered three wickets from Siddle
Historic Partnership
Just before the third day's close, both batsmen started the English reply trailing by 221 runs
The score stood at 19-0 when play concluded then continued through a demonstration etched in Ashes folklore
"My memory doesn't retain specific guidance, our conversations," Cook remembers
Both left-handed batsmen added 188 for the first wicket
Cook's 235 not out was the highest score by an Englishman down under since the 1930s
Series Dominance
The English took advantage of an astonishing first morning of the second Test in Adelaide
Following Anderson's additional wicket the opposition player, the score read 2-3 and never recovered
The batsman proceeded his Brisbane success through a 148-run innings in a Test remembered highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian bowling
Series Conclusion
The English might have secured the urn in Perth, however Johnson to indicate the trouble from future encounters
Then came arguably England's best performance of Ashes cricket down under
At the MCG, the massive stadium of sports down under, on the holiday, the Australian team were dismissed for 98
"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, it was that. There was disbelief when play concluded," Cook remembers
The Final Victory
Fuelled by the focus to win the urn, Cook was at it again at the SCG
The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their highest total in a Test in Australia
The debate didn't concern if England would win the match and the Ashes, rather when
"The environment was electric," recalls Cook
"After Tremlett dismissed the final batsman to claim triumph, that was a time of complete happiness"
Enduring Impact
The batsman received top accolades
The remaining seven years of his Test career featured other milestones
After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions
"{I couldn't have played any better|