766 and All That - When Cook Conquered Australia

The Queensland capital isn't a city to give England badly required Ashes optimism

After defeat by the hosts during the opening match, England need to regroup for a trip to the famous Gabba, a venue where England have not won since 1986

English cricketers have frequently been outmatched opponents at the Gabbatoir

A Shining Knight's Triumph

Within recent memory of broken English hopes, aspirations and players exists a motivational tale delivered by an exceptional player

Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark 235 not out, rescuing the opening match during that famous series establishing England's trajectory to their only Ashes series win in Australia during recent memory

Record-Breaking Performance

This marked the start of his successful Australian campaign; three hundreds and 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs during a Test series down under

The English triumphed 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins

The team hasn't secured a Test here since that memorable series

Cook's Memories

"People overlook the challenging periods, the nervousness and anxiety accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects

"I look back with pride. I made an important impact in a tournament that saw England won 3-1 down under where each victory was achieved comprehensively"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory began 18 months earlier after the 2009 Ashes on home soil

Though England triumphed, the opening batsman scored under 25 per innings with just one score exceeding half-century

He sought improvement

"Despite cricket's collective nature, personal performance generates the feeling that personal responsibility matters," he explains

Skill Development

Two days after the triumphant events, he returned facing countless of balls in the nets with Graham Gooch

Beginning performances were encouraging

The batsman achieved three hundred-run innings on the 2009-10 winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh

Career-Defining Moments

Upon his return to home soil for the 2010 summer, the batsman had a "stinker"

In eight innings facing these opponents, his top innings reached only 29

Scoreless overnight at the end of the second day of the third Test facing Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook was convinced this would be his concluding international appearance ahead of potential omission

"I found myself in the hospitality area, seeking the resolution by drowning sorrows," he reveals

Decisive Instance

The 110-run innings ensured his position on the plane to Australia

The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one of their warm-up games down under

Come the first Test in Brisbane, they encountered three wickets from Siddle

Historic Partnership

An hour before day three's conclusion, the opening pair opened England's second innings with a deficit of 221 runs

The score stood at 19-0 when play concluded and proceeded with a performance remembered in Ashes history

"I cannot recall specific guidance, anything of what we spoke about," recalls Cook

The left-handers added 188 together

His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance by an Englishman down under since the 1930s

Total Command

England exploited an astonishing first morning during the following Test in Adelaide

After Anderson also dismissed the opposition player, the hosts stood at 2-3 and never recovered

Cook followed up his Brisbane heroics through a 148-run innings in a famous match featuring Pietersen's destruction of the opposition bowlers

The Final Triumph

Victory was possible the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble he would cause four years later

Then came possibly England's finest day in Ashes history on Australian soil

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the enormous ground of Australian sport, during Boxing Day, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

"If perfection existed for Boxing Day, that defined it. Amazement prevailed as the day ended," Cook remembers

The Final Victory

Driven by determination to claim victory, Cook excelled once more in Sydney

His score of 189 contributed to England's 644, their record innings on Australian soil

The question was not if England would win the match and the Ashes, rather when

"The feeling was unbelievable," recalls Cook

"Following Tremlett's wicket of the last player to secure victory, it represented an instant of pure elation"

Enduring Impact

He earned series honors

The following seven seasons in his international career included additional achievements

Post-cricket career, he was honored for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|