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Brisbane is not a city to give the English team crucial hope for the Ashes

After defeat by the Australian side in the first Test, the tourists must stir themselves ahead of visiting the Gabba, a stadium where England have not won for over thirty years

Players representing England have frequently been lambs to the slaughter at the Gabbatoir

The Inspirational Triumph

Among a recent history of English disappointments, dreams and bodies is a source of inspiration delivered by a shining knight

Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of Alastair Cook conquered the Gabba with a career-defining 235 without loss, rescuing the opening match of 2010-11 establishing England's trajectory to their only Ashes series win down under over nearly four decades

Record-Breaking Performance

It was the beginning of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three centuries accumulating 766 runs

Wally Hammond remains the sole English player who has made more runs during a Test series down under

England won 3-1, where each success through innings victories

England hasn't achieved a Test here since that historic campaign

Looking Back

"One tends to forget the tough times, the tension and worry that went into that," Cook recalls

"I look back with pride. I made an important impact in a tournament that saw England triumphed 3-1 in Australia with every match came through innings wins"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory started a year and a half before following the 2009 Ashes on home soil

England won, the opener scored under 25 per innings achieving merely one performance above 50

He sought improvement

"While cricket involves teamwork, individual contribution generates the feeling like you want to pull your weight," he notes

Skill Development

Just 48 hours following the celebrations, he returned facing countless bowls during training under Graham Gooch's guidance

Beginning performances were encouraging

Cook made three hundred-run innings on overseas campaigns to South Africa and Bangladesh

Crucial Turning Points

When Cook returned to England for that year's summer, the batsman performed poorly

Across eight appearances versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance reached only 29

Without runs following the second day's play of the third Test facing Pakistan in London, Cook believed this would be his last Test innings before being dropped

"I found myself in the hospitality area, seeking the solution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits

The Turning Point

His century secured his place for the Australian tour

The team maintained preparations with two victories and one draw of their warm-up games in Australia

Come the first Test at the famous ground, they faced three wickets from Siddle

Historic Partnership

Just before the third day's close, the opening pair began England's second batting effort with a deficit of 221 runs

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

"I don't remember specific guidance, anything of what we spoke about," says Cook

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 for the first wicket

Cook's 235 not out was the highest score achieved by a Briton on Australian soil for 82 years

Complete Control

England capitalised on a remarkable opening session of the second Test in Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, the hosts stood at 2-3 and never recovered

He continued his Brisbane success with 148 in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian bowling

Ultimate Victory

England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble he would cause four years later

Then came arguably England's best performance of Ashes cricket down under

In Melbourne, the massive stadium of Australian sport, on the holiday, the Australian team were dismissed for 98

"If perfection existed for Boxing Day, that defined it. Incredulity reigned at the end of the day," Cook remembers

Series Conclusion

Fuelled by the focus to win the urn, Cook excelled once more at the Sydney Cricket Ground

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

The debate didn't concern whether England would triumph the match and the Ashes, rather when

"The feeling was unbelievable," says Cook

"Following Tremlett's wicket of the last player to secure victory, that was a time of absolute joy"

Enduring Impact

He earned series honors

The remaining seven years in his international career included other milestones

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for sporting achievements

"{I couldn't have played any better|