Cook will break more records - Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick believes Alastair Cook can go on and break a host of batting records after his monumental unbeaten 235, against Australia in Brisbane, which enabled England to save the opening Ashes Test. Cook beat Don Bradman's Gabba record for an individual score as he and Jonathan Trott added a mammoth 329 for the second wicket.

In many ways Cook has been the long-term successor to Trescothick at the top of England's order. Although he made his debut as an opener before Trescothick's enforced retirement from the international scene, Cook only took that position permanently during the 2006-07 series in Australia.

"You can just see from the way he approaches his cricket that it was only ever going to be a matter of time before produced this sort of performance," Trescothick told ESPNcricinfo. "He's a young and could go on and break all sorts of records in the years to come."

The early end to Trescothick's Test career is often cited as one of the key reasons for England's whitewash on that trip as the top order struggled to impose themselves against a formidable attack. Cook, despite a second-innings hundred at Perth, ended with a disappointing 276 runs at 27.60.

In one Test he has surpassed that tally, after beginning with a battling 67 in the first innings, and Trescothick never had any doubt in Cook's ability even when he was going through his summer slump against Pakistan. Turning 26 on Christmas Day - the same birthday as Trescothick - Cook appears set to finish his career as England's leading Test scorer, a position currently held by his mentor Graham Gooch.

"It shows the quality of the player. We know the sort of character he is and he's an important member of the team," Trescothick said. "He's always worked hard. All he needed was to get that big score and he's been building up to it during the warm-up matches, then got fifty in the first innings at the Gabba before finishing off with a brilliant double hundred."

Cook's opening stand of 188 with Andrew Strauss set England on their way to saving the opening Test and it was the positive approach they took, led by Strauss, that indicated the visitors weren't going to back down from a huge challenge. As a fellow opener, Trescothick understands the mindset needed to overcome huge deficits and believes it's the strong back-room set-up within the squad that enable the openers to play the way they did.

"The vital thing is how solid the team is," Trescothick said. "If you have that grounding in the dressing room then you can go out and try to be positive. You can't die a death and end up not scoring runs because you have to get ahead of the other team. When the bad balls come you have to put them away and attack certain bowlers. Eventually you are going to lose wickets, but that's what didn't happen this time."

The build-up to the opening Test centred on Australia's strong record at the Gabba and, although they remain unbeaten since 1988, the nature of England's great escape means they head into the second Test buoyed while it's the hosts under pressure. In 2002-03, Trescothick was part of an England team hammered by 384 runs in Brisbane and, despite the best efforts of Michael Vaughan who scored 633 runs in the series, they never recovered and lost 4-1. Now, having departed Queensland unscathed, Trescothick believes England have secured a vital advantage.

"It was a great achievement. Our history at the Gabba wasn't very good," he said. "Generally if you get 500 you are losing at least half the side so to get it for just one down was a fantastic effort. It was a great achievement, and to bounce back as well from being 200 behind is a great effort.

"The pitch was certainly different to before but the team is in such better shape. We know the team we want to play, the batters are getting runs and the bowlers doing OK. But I think we can produce even better results and going into the second Test we often get better as a series goes on."