235* vs. Australia, Brisbane, 2010
625 mins

Alastair Cook’s best batting display came in the 2010 Ashes series down under. His best innings came at the Brisbane Test, when England was bowled out for 260 in the first innings, batting first. Australia piled up 481 runs thanks to 195 from Mike Hussey and 136 from Brad Haddin.

England needed someone to stand up to a charged up Mitchell Johnson and Cook took up the mantle on himself and batted for a painstaking 625 minutes or over 10 hours, putting on 188 with Andrew Strauss and an unbroken 329 with Jonathan Trott.

England began their second innings 221 behind at the Gabbatoir and Cook’s masterful 235* in 428 balls with 15 fours deflated the Australian bowling lineup and England put up an unbelievable looking total of 517/1. Cook went on to win the Man of the series award in the Ashes 2010 and was picked as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year.