Remembering 766 - Cook's Triumph in the Australian Team

Brisbane is not a location providing England badly required Ashes optimism

After defeat by the Australian side at the series start, the visiting team must stir themselves for a trip to Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where England have not won for decades

Men wearing three lions have frequently been easy prey at the Gabbatoir

The Inspirational Achievement

Among a recent history of English disappointments, dreams and bodies is a source of inspiration delivered by a cricket hero

It is exactly 15 years since Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series paving England's path to their only Ashes series win in Australia in the past 38 years

Historic Achievement

This marked the start of the victorious Australian campaign; three hundred-plus scores totaling 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign on Australian soil

England won 3-1, with all victories via comprehensive wins

England hasn't achieved a Test victory there since those glory days

Looking Back

"One tends to forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects

"I reflect proudly. I made an important impact in a series when England triumphed 3-1 in Australia and all three games were won by an innings"

Journey to Excellence

The path to his Australian epic began 18 months earlier at the end of the 2009 Ashes on home soil

England won, Cook scored under 25 per innings with just one score above 50

He desired better

"Despite cricket's collective nature, the individuality does make you feel that personal responsibility matters," he states

Game Improvement

Just 48 hours following the triumphant events, he was back at work hitting hundreds and hundreds bowls during training under Graham Gooch's guidance

The initial results were encouraging

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

Crucial Turning Points

After coming back to England for the 2010 summer, the batsman performed poorly

During eight batting opportunities versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score reached only 29

Without runs following the second day of the third Test facing Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed this would be his final Test performance ahead of potential omission

"I was sitting in the hospitality area, trying to find the answer by drowning sorrows," he reveals

Decisive Instance

The 110-run innings guaranteed his seat in the squad down under

Preparation continued through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games down under

When the first Test arrived at the famous ground, they faced Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Record-Breaking Stand

Just before the third day's close, the opening pair started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs

They achieved 19 without loss by day's end and followed up with an exhibition etched in Ashes folklore

"I don't remember the messages, our conversations," says Cook

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 together

His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance achieved by a Briton down under in eight decades

Series Dominance

England exploited a remarkable opening session in the second match in South Australia

When Anderson also nicked off the opposition player, the hosts stood at 2-3 and struggled throughout

The batsman proceeded his Queensland achievement by scoring 148 in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian bowling

Series Conclusion

England could have retained the urn in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble from future encounters

What followed was arguably England's best performance of Ashes cricket down under

In Melbourne, the enormous ground of Australian cricket, and on Boxing Day, the hosts were blown away for 98

"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. Amazement prevailed at the end of the day," recalls Cook

Ultimate Success

Fuelled by the focus to secure the Ashes, Cook excelled once more at the SCG

His score of 189 helped England reach 644, their highest total in a Test in Australia

The debate didn't concern if England would win the game and series, but the timing

"The feeling was unbelievable," recalls Cook

"When Tremlett got the final batsman to win the match, it represented an instant of pure elation"

Enduring Impact

Cook was player of the series

The following seven seasons of his cricket journey featured other milestones

Post-cricket career, Cook was knighted for services to cricket

"{I couldn't have played any better|