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Brisbane hasn't been a place that offers the English team badly required confidence in the series

Following the loss to the hosts in the first Test, England need to regroup before heading to Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where the English haven't triumphed since 1986

English cricketers have habitually been lambs to the slaughter in Brisbane

The Inspirational Success

Within recent memory of broken English hopes, hopes and athletes is a source of inspiration delivered by an exceptional player

Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of the legendary Cook conquered the Gabba through a defining unbeaten 235, saving the first Test during that famous series paving England's path to their only Ashes series win in Australia during recent memory

Record-Breaking Performance

This marked the start of the victorious tour of Australia; three hundred-plus scores and 766 runs

Wally Hammond is the only Englishman to score more runs during a Test series in this country

The English triumphed 3-1, where each success via comprehensive wins

England hasn't achieved a Test victory there since that memorable series

Looking Back

"You forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry involved in that achievement," Cook remembers

"I reflect proudly. I played a significant part in a series when the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil with every match were won by an innings"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory began 18 months earlier at the end of the 2009 series in the UK

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

He wanted more

"Despite cricket's collective nature, individual contribution creates the sensation like you want to pull your weight," he states

Game Improvement

Two days after the celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds deliveries in practice under Graham Gooch's guidance

The initial results showed promise

Cook made three centuries on overseas campaigns against South African and Bangladeshi teams

Crucial Turning Points

When Cook returned to British conditions for that year's summer, the batsman struggled significantly

Across eight appearances facing these opponents, his top innings reached only 29

Without runs after the second day in the third match versus Pakistan in London, Cook was convinced he was playing his concluding international appearance before being dropped

"There I was in the bar, trying to find the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits

The Turning Point

His century guaranteed his seat on the plane to Australia

Preparation continued through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games in Australia

When the first Test arrived at the famous ground, they faced a Siddle hat-trick

Historic Partnership

Just before the end of the third day, Cook and Strauss started the English reply needing to overcome 221 runs

They reached 19-0 when play concluded and proceeded with a performance engraved in cricket memory

"My memory doesn't retain any instructions, our conversations," says Cook

The opening pair added 188 in their partnership

The 235 without dismissal was the highest score achieved by a Briton on Australian soil in eight decades

Total Command

England exploited an astonishing first morning of the second Test in South Australia

Following Anderson's additional wicket the opposition player, the score read 2-3 and couldn't recover

Cook followed up his Brisbane success 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 indicate the trouble from future encounters

Then came perhaps England's single greatest day during Ashes competition down under

At the MCG, the enormous ground of Australian cricket, during Boxing Day, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

"If perfection existed for Boxing Day, it was that. Amazement prevailed at the end of the day," says Cook

Series Conclusion

Fuelled by the focus to claim victory, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney

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

The uncertainty wasn't if England would win the game and series, rather when

"The environment was electric," says Cook

"When Tremlett got Michael Beer to win the match, it represented an instant of complete happiness"

Legacy and Recognition

The batsman received top accolades

The remaining seven years in his international career included additional achievements

Post-cricket career, Cook was knighted for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|