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Brisbane is not a place that offers England some much-needed Ashes optimism

In the wake of losing to Australia in the first Test, the tourists have to bounce back before heading to Brisbane's Gabba, a ground where England have not won for decades

English cricketers have frequently been lambs to the slaughter at the Gabbatoir

A Shining Knight's Achievement

Throughout modern times of broken English hopes, dreams and bodies lies an inspirational story delivered by a shining knight

Today commemorates a decade and a half after Alastair Cook mastered the Gabba with a career-defining unbeaten 235, saving the first Test of 2010-11 and setting England on course to their only Ashes series win in Australia in the past 38 years

Historic Achievement

It was the beginning of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three hundreds and 766 runs

Wally Hammond remains the sole English player with higher run totals throughout a campaign on Australian soil

Victory came 3-1, where each success through innings victories

England hasn't achieved success at this venue since that historic campaign

Looking Back

"You forget the difficult moments, the nervousness and anxiety accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects

"I look back with pride. My contribution was substantial during a campaign where England triumphed 3-1 in Australia where each victory was achieved comprehensively"

The Road to Greatness

The path to his Australian epic commenced well before at the end of the 2009 Ashes on home soil

Though England triumphed, Cook scored under 25 per innings with just one score exceeding half-century

He desired better

"While cricket involves teamwork, personal performance generates the feeling that personal responsibility matters," he states

Game Improvement

Shortly after the victory celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds of balls in the nets alongside Graham Gooch

The initial results were encouraging

The batsman achieved three centuries on overseas campaigns in South Africa and Bangladesh

Pivotal Instances

Upon his return to British conditions for that year's summer, Cook performed poorly

Across eight appearances versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score reached only 29

Scoreless overnight following the second day during the final Test versus Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook believed it might be his concluding international appearance before being dropped

"There I was in the bar, attempting to discover the solution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he reveals

Decisive Instance

Cook's 110 secured his place in the squad down under

The team maintained preparations with two victories and one draw in practice matches on Australian soil

When the first Test arrived in Brisbane, they were hit by three wickets from Siddle

Historic Partnership

Shortly prior to the end of the third day, Cook and Strauss opened England's second innings needing to overcome 221 runs

The score stood at 19-0 by day's end and proceeded through a demonstration etched in Ashes folklore

"I don't remember any instructions, anything of what we spoke about," says Cook

Both left-handed batsmen added 188 together

Cook's 235 not out was the highest score achieved by a Briton down under in eight decades

Complete Control

The English took advantage of a remarkable opening session during the following Test in Adelaide

After Anderson also dismissed the opposition player, the score read 2-3 and never recovered

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

The Final Triumph

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

The subsequent events included possibly England's finest day in Ashes history on Australian soil

At the MCG, the massive stadium of sports down under, on the holiday, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

"For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. Incredulity reigned when play concluded," says Cook

Series Conclusion

Driven by determination to win the urn, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney

His 189 helped England reach 644, their record innings on Australian soil

The question was not if victory would come both match and urn, rather when

"The feeling was unbelievable," says Cook

"When Tremlett got the final batsman to secure victory, it represented an instant of absolute joy"

Historical Significance

The batsman received top accolades

The subsequent seven years in his international career included other milestones

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|