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Brisbane is not a city to give England badly required confidence in the series

In the wake of losing to Australia in the first Test, the tourists must stir themselves for a trip to the famous Gabba, a ground where England have not won for over thirty years

Men wearing three lions have habitually been easy prey in Brisbane

A Shining Knight's Success

Throughout modern times of broken English hopes, dreams and bodies exists a motivational tale delivered by a shining knight

This marks the 15th anniversary of Sir Alastair Cook mastered the Gabba via a landmark unbeaten 235, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series establishing England's trajectory for their unique Ashes triumph on Australian soil in the past 38 years

Unforgettable Series

This marked the start of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three centuries totaling 766 runs

Wally Hammond is the only Englishman with higher run totals in a series down under

Victory came 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins

They have not won a Test here since that historic campaign

Looking Back

"One tends to forget the challenging periods, the apprehension and concern involved in that achievement," Cook recalls

"I reflect proudly. I made an important impact in a series when the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil with every match came through innings wins"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory started a year and a half before at the end of that year's Ashes on home soil

Despite English victory, the opener averaged less than 25 achieving merely one performance over fifty

He desired better

"Despite cricket's collective nature, personal performance generates the feeling that personal responsibility matters," he notes

Technical Transformation

Two days after the celebrations, he returned practicing numerous of balls in the nets under Graham Gooch's guidance

The initial results were encouraging

Cook made three centuries on the 2009-10 winter tours against South African and Bangladeshi teams

Pivotal Instances

When Cook returned to home soil for the 2010 summer, the left-hander performed poorly

In eight innings versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his top innings was 29

Without runs following the second day's play during the final Test against Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook was convinced this would be his final Test performance prior to selection

"I was sitting at the bar, attempting to discover the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he confesses

Decisive Instance

Cook's 110 guaranteed his seat in the squad down under

The team maintained preparations through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games down under

When the first Test arrived at the Gabba, they encountered Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Historic Partnership

An hour before the end of the third day, Cook and Strauss began England's second batting effort needing to overcome 221 runs

They achieved 19 without loss at stumps and proceeded with an exhibition etched in Ashes folklore

"My memory doesn't retain any instructions, anything of what we spoke about," says Cook

The opening pair accumulated 188 runs in their partnership

His unbeaten 235 was the highest score achieved by a Briton on Australian soil since the 1930s

Total Command

England exploited an incredible start during the following Test in South Australia

Following Anderson's additional wicket Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and never recovered

He continued his Brisbane heroics by scoring 148 in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian attack

The Final Triumph

England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc from future encounters

The subsequent events included arguably England's best performance in Ashes history down under

In Melbourne, the enormous ground of sports down under, during Boxing Day, the Australian team were blown away for 98

"For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. Incredulity reigned as the day ended," says Cook

Series Conclusion

Fuelled by the focus to claim victory, Cook excelled once more in Sydney

His 189 lifted England to 644, their record innings during Australian Tests

The debate didn't concern if England would win the game and series, but when

"The environment was electric," Cook remembers

"When Tremlett got the last player to claim triumph, it represented an instant of absolute joy"

Legacy and Recognition

Cook was player of the series

The remaining seven years of his cricket journey included further accomplishments

Following his international retirement, he received a knighthood for services to cricket

"{I couldn't have played any better|