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Brisbane is not a place that offers England some much-needed hope for the Ashes

Following the loss to the Australian side in the first Test, the tourists must stir themselves for a trip to the famous Gabba, a stadium where England have not won for over thirty years

Men wearing three lions have often become lambs to the slaughter in Brisbane

Cook's Memorable Triumph

Throughout modern times of broken English hopes, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale provided by a shining knight

Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba via a landmark 235 without loss, saving the first Test of 2010-11 establishing England's trajectory to their only Ashes series win down under during recent memory

Unforgettable Series

It was the beginning of his successful circumnavigation of Australia; three hundred-plus scores accumulating 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign down under

England won 3-1, with every win through innings victories

England hasn't achieved success at this venue since those glory days

Cook's Memories

"One tends to forget the tough times, the nervousness and anxiety involved in that achievement," the cricketer reflects

"With pride I remember. I played a significant part in a series when England won 3-1 down under and all three games were won by an innings"

Journey to Excellence

The path to his Australian epic began 18 months earlier at the end of that year's Ashes on home soil

Though England triumphed, the opening batsman averaged less than 25 with just one score over fifty

He desired better

"Despite cricket's collective nature, individual contribution generates the feeling that you must contribute adequately," he explains

Technical Transformation

Shortly after the triumphant events, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds bowls during training alongside Graham Gooch

Beginning performances showed promise

Cook made three centuries on the 2009-10 winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh

Pivotal Instances

After coming back to British conditions for the 2010 summer, Cook performed poorly

In eight innings versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score totaled just 29 runs

Without runs after the second day in the third match against Pakistan in London, Cook was convinced it might be his final Test performance prior to selection

"I was sitting in the hospitality area, attempting to discover the resolution through drinking," he reveals

The Turning Point

His century ensured his position in the squad down under

The team maintained preparations with two victories and one draw in practice matches in Australia

As the opening match began at the famous ground, they encountered a Siddle hat-trick

Memorable Collaboration

An hour before day three's conclusion, the opening pair started the English reply with a deficit of 221 runs

They reached 19-0 by day's end and proceeded with a performance engraved in cricket memory

"My memory doesn't retain specific guidance, our discussions," recalls Cook

The opening pair accumulated 188 runs together

His unbeaten 235 represented the top score achieved by a Briton on Australian soil for 82 years

Complete Control

England exploited a remarkable opening session of the second Test in Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off Michael Clarke, the hosts stood at 2-3 and couldn't recover

Cook followed up his Brisbane success by scoring 148 in a Test remembered featuring Pietersen's destruction of the Australian bowling

Ultimate Victory

Victory was possible the urn in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction that would come later

The subsequent events included arguably England's best performance in Ashes history on Australian soil

In Melbourne, the enormous ground of Australian sport, and on Boxing Day, the Australian team were blown away for 98

"For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. Incredulity reigned at the end of the day," says Cook

The Final Victory

Motivated by purpose to secure the Ashes, Cook excelled once more in Sydney

The 189-run innings contributed to England's 644, their best score on Australian soil

The question was not whether England would triumph the match and the Ashes, rather when

"The environment was electric," says Cook

"After Tremlett dismissed Michael Beer to claim triumph, that was a time of complete happiness"

Legacy and Recognition

He earned series honors

The subsequent seven years in his international career included additional achievements

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|