Combined Australia-England Ashes XI

2. Alastair Cook

Alastair Cook was known for mastery in Test batting. In his 13-year Test career, he played attacking cricket and ended up as the most successful batter for England with 12'472 runs in 291 innings of 161 matches. These numbers corroborate his stature as a batter in the longest format of the sport. 
 
Against arch-rivals Australia, his record is amazing as the southpaw is on the list of top England batters who have performed exceptionally in the Ashes. Piling up 2'493 runs in 64 innings of 35 Tests of the Ashes, he is the most successful batter for England in the 21st century. 

In 2011, England won the Ashes in Australia after 24 years, and in this immense success, Cook looked aggressive with his bat and became the Player of the Match. This time, he smashed 766 runs in seven innings of five matches and helped his team to seal the series by a 3-1 margin.