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Brisbane hasn't been a place that offers the Three Lions badly required hope for the Ashes

After defeat by Australia in the first Test, England have to bounce back before heading to the Gabba, a ground where victory has eluded England for decades

Men wearing three lions have often become outmatched opponents at the Gabbatoir

A Shining Knight's Achievement

Among a recent history of English disappointments, dreams and bodies lies an inspirational story delivered by a cricket hero

It is exactly the 15th anniversary of the legendary Cook mastered the Gabba through a defining 235 not out, saving the first Test during that famous series and setting England on course to their only Ashes series win in Australia over nearly four decades

Unforgettable Series

It commenced of Cook's triumphant tour of Australia; three hundreds and 766 runs

Wally Hammond stands as the only Briton who has made more runs throughout a campaign on Australian soil

England won 3-1, with every win by an innings

England hasn't achieved a Test victory there since those glory days

Personal Reflections

"You forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry accompanying that success," Cook remembers

"With pride I remember. My contribution was substantial in a tournament that saw England triumphed 3-1 on Australian soil where each victory were won by an innings"

The Road to Greatness

Cook's road toward Australian glory began 18 months earlier after the 2009 Ashes on home soil

Despite English victory, Cook averaged less than 25 managing only one innings above 50

He wanted more

"Despite cricket's collective nature, individual contribution creates the sensation that personal responsibility matters," he explains

Skill Development

Just 48 hours following the triumphant events, he returned hitting hundreds and hundreds bowls during training with Graham Gooch

Early outcomes were encouraging

The batsman achieved three hundred-run innings on the 2009-10 winter tours in South Africa and Bangladesh

Pivotal Instances

Upon his return to England for the 2010 summer, the left-hander struggled significantly

During eight batting opportunities against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his best performance was 29

On nought not out at the end of the second day's play during the final Test against Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook believed this would be his last Test innings before being dropped

"There I was in the bar, attempting to discover the answer by drowning sorrows," he admits

Decisive Instance

Cook's 110 ensured his position for the Australian tour

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

Come the first Test in Brisbane, they faced Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Historic Partnership

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

They reached 19-0 by day's end then continued through a demonstration etched in Ashes folklore

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

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 for the first wicket

His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance from an English player on Australian soil for 82 years

Complete Control

England capitalised on a remarkable opening session in the second match in Adelaide

Following Anderson's additional wicket the Australian batsman, Australia were 2-3 and couldn't recover

The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics with 148 in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian attack

Series Conclusion

The English might have secured the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc from future encounters

What followed was arguably England's best performance in Ashes history on Australian soil

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the massive stadium of sports down under, and on Boxing Day, the home side were blown away for 98

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

The Final Victory

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

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

The debate didn't concern whether England would triumph the game and series, but the timing

"The environment was electric," Cook remembers

"Following Tremlett's wicket of Michael Beer to win the match, it represented an instant of absolute joy"

Historical Significance

The batsman received top accolades

The following seven seasons of his Test career featured other milestones

Following his international retirement, he was honored for services to cricket

"{I couldn't have played any better|