Cook aims to destroy fortress

Alastair Cook, left, wants to hit the ground running in Brisbane
20 November 2013

Alastair Cook's England intend to storm fortress Brisbane in pursuit of a remarkable fourth successive Ashes series victory.

Last time round, only three years ago thanks to a World Cup-enforced scheduling switch, Cook was the cornerstone under Andrew Strauss' captaincy as the tourists merely got out of the Gabba in one piece.

The heroic Cook-Strauss-Jonathan Trott rearguard was nonetheless a prelude to overdue Ashes success Down Under - and two of the three are back for more as cricket immortality beckons.

Not since the days of WG Grace, back in 1890, have England managed to complete a sequence of four or more series wins over their oldest opponents.

Cook is careful to ensure neither he nor his team gets caught up too early in that quest for the quartet.

But he does not mind setting his sights on overturning 25 years of more recent history, by inflicting defeat on Australia at this ground for the first time in a quarter of a century.

"Australia have a very good record in Brisbane, and it's our job to try to change that," Cook said.

"We've spoken about their record here - not losing for 25 years is a good achievement."

Cook is convinced, however, that his modern England have the pedigree to pull off a Gabba heist.

"We spoke about something like this at Lord's in 2009, when we played them (and won).

"We hadn't beaten them for 70-odd years at Lord's, and we made a real conscious effort to try to change that.

"This side has done that a number of times - when there have been specific challenges ahead of us, we've delivered."

England, their captain insists, are not cowed by the credentials of hosts who may have long been formidable at this venue yet could not muster an Ashes Test win last summer and were sent home with only a hard-fought one-day international series success as consolation after a four-month tour.

"There's no reason to feel intimidated," Cook said.

"A lot of players in this squad were here in 2010/11 - we've all got experience of winning in Australia.

"We're trying to use that to the best of our ability, and we know how important this game was last time for setting up the series.

"We certainly don't fear anyone.

"That's quite clear to see, the way we go about our business.

"We're a very competitive side, and there's no reason to fear any side out there."

Cook famously ground out 766 Ashes runs in 2010/11, starting with 302 in the two innings at Brisbane, carrying his bat once, as England nonetheless did it the hard way in the first Test.

They subsequently hit on a more direct formula, a better one too - which they hope to repeat.

"We know how important first-innings runs are in Australia," Cook added.

"To set the game up, you have to score big."

Among England's number is a champion about to play his 100th Test, in Kevin Pietersen.

Yet there is another vying to be Australian supporters' 'most wanted' target for good old-fashioned Ashes antagonism.

While Trott and Ian Bell can be expected to provide plenty of under-stated runs, and James Anderson has become a master of his trade as a frontline swing bowler, it is his new-ball partner Stuart Broad who is most likely to rile the hosts.

Cook would not have him any other way.

"He's a very combative character," he said.

"He's an in-yer-face kind of cricketer, and I like that about him.

"Any time you set him a challenge - you saw (in the Ashes-clinching victory in August) at Durham when we hadn't bowled very well, the challenge was set in the dressing room at tea.

"We said 'we need to take this game by the scruff of the neck if we want to win it' - and he stood up and delivered.

"He's done that a number of times for England, magic spells of bowling.

"He has the ability to change games very quickly...and he is raring to go."

Matt Prior's participation in the first Test remains in doubt due to a calf injury and is likely to do so until England announce their team at the toss on Thursday.

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