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Brisbane is not a place that offers the English team crucial hope for the Ashes

Following the loss to Australia in the first Test, the visiting team must stir themselves ahead of visiting Brisbane's Gabba, a stadium where victory has eluded England for over thirty years

Men wearing three lions have frequently been lambs to the slaughter in Brisbane

A Shining Knight's Success

Among a recent history of English disappointments, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale achieved by a cricket hero

It is exactly 15 years since the legendary Cook mastered the Gabba via a landmark 235 without loss, rescuing the opening match of 2010-11 paving England's path toward their sole series victory in Australia over nearly four decades

Record-Breaking Performance

This marked the start of Cook's triumphant tour of Australia; three hundred-plus scores and 766 runs

Cricket great Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs throughout a campaign on Australian soil

England won 3-1, with every win via comprehensive wins

The team hasn't secured a Test victory there since those glory days

Personal Reflections

"One tends to forget the difficult moments, the tension and worry involved in that achievement," Cook recalls

"I look back with pride. I made an important impact during a campaign where England won 3-1 on Australian soil and all three games came through innings wins"

Journey to Excellence

The path toward Australian glory commenced well before following the 2009 Ashes on home soil

Despite English victory, the opener had an average below 25 with just one score above 50

He sought improvement

"Cricket is a team game, the individuality does make you feel that you must contribute adequately," he explains

Skill Development

Just 48 hours following the triumphant events, he was back at work practicing numerous of balls in the nets under Graham Gooch's guidance

Beginning performances were encouraging

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

Career-Defining Moments

When Cook returned to British conditions for that year's summer, the batsman had a "stinker"

Across eight appearances versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his top innings totaled just 29 runs

Without runs following day two of the third Test against Pakistan in London, the batsman felt certain he was playing his last Test innings ahead of potential omission

"I was sitting in the bar, attempting to discover the resolution through drinking," he admits

Critical Moment

His century ensured his position on the plane to Australia

England continued their preparations with two victories and one draw of their warm-up games on Australian soil

Come the first Test at the famous ground, they were hit by Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Memorable Collaboration

Just before the end of the third day, the opening pair started the English reply trailing by 221 runs

They achieved 19 without loss by day's end and followed up with an exhibition engraved in cricket memory

"I cannot recall any instructions, our conversations," Cook remembers

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 together

Cook's 235 not out stood as the best performance by an Englishman in Australia for 82 years

Complete Control

England exploited a remarkable opening session during the following Test in South Australia

When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, the score read 2-3 and struggled throughout

Cook followed up his Brisbane heroics through a 148-run innings in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian attack

Series Conclusion

England could have retained the urn in Perth, only for Mitchell Johnson to preview the destruction that would come later

What followed was arguably England's best performance during Ashes competition down under

In Melbourne, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian sport, and on Boxing Day, the home side were blown away for 98

"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. Amazement prevailed as the day ended," Cook remembers

The Final Victory

Driven by determination to claim victory, Cook was at it again at the SCG

The 189-run innings helped England reach 644, their record innings during Australian Tests

The question was not if England would win the game and series, but when

"The environment was electric," Cook remembers

"When Tremlett got the final batsman to claim triumph, it represented an instant of pure elation"

Enduring Impact

Cook was player of the series

The remaining seven years of his Test career were illuminated by other milestones

Post-cricket career, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|