Remembering 766 - Cook's Dominance of Australia
The legendary 766 runs by an Englishman on an Ashes tour ranks second only to cricket legend Wally Hammond
Brisbane hasn't been a city to give the Three Lions crucial confidence in the series
Following the loss to Australia during the opening match, the tourists have to bounce back ahead of visiting the Gabba, a venue where victory has eluded England since 1986
Men wearing three lions have habitually been outmatched opponents at this challenging venue
Cook's Memorable Achievement
Throughout modern times of English disappointments, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale provided by a cricket hero
It is exactly the 15th anniversary of the legendary Cook conquered the Gabba through a defining unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match during that famous series paving England's path to their only Ashes series win on Australian soil in the past 38 years
Historic Achievement
This marked the start of the victorious circumnavigation of Australia; three hundred-plus scores totaling 766 runs
Cricket great Hammond stands as the only Briton who has made more runs during a Test series down under
England won 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins
They have not won success at this venue since those glory days
Cook's Memories
"One tends to forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects
"I reflect proudly. My contribution was substantial in a series when the English secured a 3-1 victory down under where each victory were won by an innings"
Path to Success
Cook's road to down under success commenced well before after the 2009 Ashes on home soil
England won, the opening batsman averaged less than 25 achieving merely one performance over fifty
He sought improvement
"Despite cricket's collective nature, personal performance does make you feel that personal responsibility matters," he notes
Technical Transformation
Just 48 hours following the celebrations, he returned hitting hundreds and hundreds of balls in the nets with Graham Gooch
Early outcomes proved positive
Cook made three hundreds during winter tours against South African and Bangladeshi teams
Pivotal Instances
After coming back to home soil during the 2010 season, the batsman struggled significantly
During eight batting opportunities against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance totaled just 29 runs
Without runs after day two in the third match against Pakistan at The Oval, Cook was convinced he was playing his last Test innings before being dropped
"There I was at the bar, seeking the resolution by drowning sorrows," he confesses
Critical Moment
The 110-run innings ensured his position for the Australian tour
The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one of their warm-up games on Australian soil
When the first Test arrived at the famous ground, they were hit by a Siddle hat-trick
Record-Breaking Stand
Just before the third day's close, the opening pair opened England's second innings needing to overcome 221 runs
They achieved 19 without loss at stumps and proceeded with an exhibition engraved in cricket memory
"My memory doesn't retain any instructions, our conversations," says Cook
The left-handers accumulated 188 runs together
His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance from an English player down under in eight decades
Total Command
The English took advantage of an incredible start of the second Test in Adelaide
When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover
Cook followed up his Queensland achievement with 148 in a Test remembered highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian attack
Series Conclusion
England could have retained the urn in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc from future encounters
Then came perhaps England's single greatest day during Ashes competition in Australia
In Melbourne, the enormous ground of sports down under, on the holiday, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out
"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, it was that. There was disbelief as the day ended," recalls Cook
Series Conclusion
Motivated by purpose to claim victory, Cook excelled once more at the Sydney Cricket Ground
The 189-run innings helped England reach 644, their best score in a Test in Australia
The debate didn't concern if England would win the game and series, rather when
"The environment was electric," says Cook
"Following Tremlett's wicket of Michael Beer to win the match, that was a time of absolute joy"
Legacy and Recognition
The batsman received top accolades
The remaining seven years of his cricket journey were illuminated by further accomplishments
Post-cricket career, he was honored for cricket contributions
"{I couldn't have played any better|