🔗 Share this article The Legend of 766 - When Cook Conquered Down Under The legendary record-breaking 766 by an Englishman during an Ashes series ranks second only to the great Wally Hammond Senior Cricket Correspondent reporting from Brisbane Posted recently Brisbane is not a city to give the Three Lions badly required confidence in the series In the wake of losing to the Australian side in the first Test, the tourists must stir themselves before heading to Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where the English haven't triumphed since 1986 Players representing England have frequently been outmatched opponents in Brisbane The Inspirational Success Among a recent history of English disappointments, aspirations and players lies an inspirational story provided by an exceptional player Today commemorates a decade and a half after the legendary Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark 235 not out, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series and setting England on course for their unique Ashes triumph in Australia over nearly four decades Record-Breaking Performance It commenced of his successful tour of Australia; three hundreds and 766 runs Cricket great Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs during a Test series on Australian soil England won 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins They have not won a Test here since those glory days Looking Back "One tends to forget the challenging periods, the apprehension and concern accompanying that success," Cook recalls "With pride I remember. I made an important impact during a campaign where England won 3-1 on Australian soil with every match were won by an innings" The Road to Greatness Cook's road to his Australian epic started a year and a half before at the end of the 2009 Ashes in the UK Despite English victory, the opener scored under 25 per innings managing only one innings above 50 He sought improvement "While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance generates the feeling that personal responsibility matters," he explains Skill Development Two days after the triumphant events, he was back at work practicing numerous bowls during training alongside Graham Gooch The initial results proved positive Cook made three hundred-run innings during winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh Pivotal Instances After coming back to home soil for that year's summer, Cook struggled significantly In eight innings facing these opponents, his best performance reached only 29 Scoreless overnight after the second day during the final Test versus Pakistan in London, Cook believed it might be his last Test innings before being dropped "There I was in the hospitality area, trying to find the answer in the bottom of a beer bottle," he reveals The Turning Point The 110-run innings guaranteed his seat in the squad down under England continued their preparations with two victories and one draw during preparatory contests in Australia Come the first Test in Brisbane, they encountered Peter Siddle's hat-trick Record-Breaking Stand Shortly prior to day three's conclusion, the opening pair started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs They achieved 19 without loss at stumps and proceeded with an exhibition remembered in Ashes history "I cannot recall the messages, our discussions," says Cook The opening pair added 188 in their partnership His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance by an Englishman on Australian soil since the 1930s Total Command The English took advantage of an incredible start in the second match at Adelaide When Anderson also nicked off Michael Clarke, Australia were 2-3 and couldn't recover He continued his Brisbane success by scoring 148 in a famous match featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian bowling Series Conclusion England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, however Johnson to preview the destruction that would come later Then came perhaps England's single greatest day of Ashes cricket down under At the MCG, the massive stadium of Australian cricket, during Boxing Day, the Australian team were dismissed for 98 "For ideal Boxing Days, that defined it. Amazement prevailed as the day ended," Cook remembers Ultimate Success Driven by determination to secure the Ashes, Cook excelled once more at the SCG His score of 189 lifted England to 644, their best score in a Test in Australia The question was not if victory would come both match and urn, rather when "The environment was electric," Cook remembers "Following Tremlett's wicket of the last player to win the match, that was a time of complete happiness" Historical Significance Cook was player of the series The following seven seasons in his international career included other milestones After retiring internationally, he was honored for services to cricket "{I couldn't have played any better|