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How England's 24-year Ashes drought ended down under with Alastair Cook masterclass

Shreyasi

England's Ashes win in Australia after 24 years [Source: X/@ICC]England's Ashes win in Australia after 24 years [Source: X/@ICC]

The bi-annual Test series between Australia and England, known as the Ashes, has seen magnificent performances by legendary players from both sides over the years. The greats of the game, such as Don Bradman, Shane Warne, and Ian Botham, showcased their peak skills during the Ashes, etching their names in the annals of the game through their outstanding performances.

Ashes legacy by cricket legends

In certain cases, their impact was so huge that we identify the series by their heroics. There were the 1930 Ashes, where Bradman became the star with a record 974 runs, or the 1981 Ashes, which got a new moniker as ‘Botham’s Ashes’ due to his outstanding performance that inspired England to a remarkable coming-from-behind 3-2 series win.

In the same way, the 2010-11 Ashes was made special by the English opening batter Alastair Cook. While Alastair Cook’s batting may not have possessed the flamboyance of other England players such as Kevin Pietersen, his unwavering focus and concentration were his forte. 

Although he represented England in all three formats of the game, Cook eventually found his mojo in Test cricket. His unprecedented success during the 2010-11 Ashes in Australia solidified his reputation as one of England’s finest Test players.

England’s Ashes record in Australia

England’s last win in an Ashes series played in Australia came during the 1986-87 season, 24 years ago. Despite their successes in the Ashes at home in 2005 and 2009, England struggled when touring Australia.

During the 2006-07 Ashes series down under, England were whitewashed by Australia losing all five Test matches. No wonder the 2010-11 tour was going to be a challenging one. However, England came with confidence and determination during the 2010-11 tour.

Cook’s form was not particularly impressive, leading to the series. But he showed great application and adapted to the conditions in Australia soon enough to deliver some brilliant innings for England.

Cook sets the tone for England at Gabba

Alastair Cook in Ashes 2010-11 [Source: X/@ICC]Alastair Cook in Ashes 2010-11 [Source: X/@ICC]

Cook began the series with 67 in the first innings and scored a sublime unbeaten 235 in the second innings in the opening Test at the Gabba. Cook provided a solid foundation for England's batting, concentrated on anchoring the innings, and helped England draw the match. Cook’s innings set the tone of the series for England. 

Cook carried his good form and notched up another century in the second Test match at Adelaide. Kevin Pietersen emerged as the hero for England in the Test match with a brilliant 227. He, along with Cook (148), dominated the Australian attack throughout as England declared the innings on 620/5. The visitors won the match eventually to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

In the third Test, both Alastair Cook and the entire England team struggled. While Australia made a strong comeback, it was a setback for England, and the series was levelled at 1-1. 

Cook, the architect for England’s historic win

Despite this failure, England returned to dominate the final two matches of the series. Cook returned to form and scored a sublime 82 runs in the first innings of the fourth Test. He provided the required support to Jonathon Trott (168*) as England eventually won the match by an innings and 157 runs. 

Building on his outstanding performances throughout the Ashes, Cook delivered another masterclass with the bat in the fifth and final Test. He yet again laid a solid foundation for the team with a composed 189 along with Ian Bell (115) and Matt Prior (118), to bring the historic win for the side.

England retained the Ashes with a 3-1 score line, and Cook was the main architect of the historic win.

His series tally of 766 was a record by an English batter since World War II, with only Wally Hammond ahead of him with 905 scored during the 1928-29 Ashes. Cook was in the crease for more than 36 hours during the series, a world record in a five-match Test series.

During the series, Cook focused on resilience and consistency. He made sure that he could play a crucial role in delivering a remarkable and rare win for England in the Ashes down under. No wonder he was the ‘Player-of-the-match’ in the first and the fifth Test and was also adjudged the ‘Player-of-the-series’ award.