🔗 Share this article Remembering 766 - Cook's Dominance of Down Under Sir Alastair's impressive 766 by an Englishman in Australian conditions is only bettered by the great Wally Hammond Chief Cricket Reporter based in Brisbane Published just now The Queensland capital isn't a location providing the Three Lions some much-needed hope for the Ashes Following the loss to the Australian side at the series start, England need to regroup ahead of visiting the Gabba, a stadium where victory has eluded England for decades English cricketers have frequently been easy prey at the Gabbatoir Cook's Memorable Triumph Throughout modern times of dashed English dreams, dreams and bodies is a source of inspiration delivered by an exceptional player Today commemorates 15 years since the legendary Cook mastered the Gabba through a defining unbeaten 235, preserving the initial Test of 2010-11 paving England's path toward their sole series victory down under during recent memory Historic Achievement It was the beginning of his successful circumnavigation of Australia; three hundred-plus scores and 766 runs Cricket great Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs throughout a campaign in this country Victory came 3-1, with all victories through innings victories England hasn't achieved a Test here since those glory days Personal Reflections "People overlook the tough times, the apprehension and concern involved in that achievement," Cook remembers "I look back with pride. I played a significant part during a campaign where the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil where each victory was achieved comprehensively" Journey to Excellence Cook's road to down under success commenced well before following that year's Ashes in the UK Though England triumphed, the opener had an average below 25 with just one score over fifty He wanted more "Despite cricket's collective nature, personal performance does make you feel like you want to pull your weight," he notes Technical Transformation Two days after the victory celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds bowls during training alongside Graham Gooch Early outcomes were encouraging The batsman achieved three hundreds during winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh Career-Defining Moments Upon his return to British conditions for the 2010 summer, Cook performed poorly Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his top innings totaled just 29 runs Scoreless overnight at the end of the second day during the final Test facing Pakistan in London, Cook believed it might be his last Test innings before being dropped "There I was in the hospitality area, seeking the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he confesses Decisive Instance The 110-run innings secured his place on the plane to Australia The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one during preparatory contests in Australia Come the first Test at the Gabba, they faced a Siddle hat-trick Memorable Collaboration An hour before day three's conclusion, the opening pair started the English reply with a deficit of 221 runs They achieved 19 without loss by day's end then continued with a performance remembered in Ashes history "I cannot recall specific guidance, anything of what we spoke about," Cook remembers The opening pair added 188 in their partnership His unbeaten 235 was the highest score from an English player down under for 82 years Total Command England capitalised on an astonishing first morning in the second match in South Australia When Anderson also nicked off Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover The batsman proceeded his Brisbane success by scoring 148 during a memorable Test highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian bowling Ultimate Victory The English might have secured the urn in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble he would cause four years later Then came arguably England's best performance during Ashes competition on Australian soil In Melbourne, the massive stadium of sports down under, during Boxing Day, the home side were blown away for 98 "For ideal Boxing Days, this was it. Amazement prevailed when play concluded," Cook remembers The Final Victory Driven by determination to win the urn, Cook was at it again at the Sydney Cricket Ground The 189-run innings lifted England to 644, their highest total during Australian Tests The debate didn't concern if England would win the game and series, but the timing "The atmosphere was incredible," Cook remembers "After Tremlett dismissed Michael Beer to secure victory, it represented an instant of absolute joy" Historical Significance He earned series honors The following seven seasons of his cricket journey featured other milestones After retiring internationally, he received a knighthood for services to cricket "{I couldn't have played any better|