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Brisbane hasn't been a city to give the Three Lions some much-needed hope for the Ashes

In the wake of losing to Australia at the series start, England must stir themselves ahead of visiting the famous Gabba, a ground where the English haven't triumphed since 1986

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

A Shining Knight's Achievement

Among a recent history of dashed English dreams, dreams and bodies exists a motivational tale delivered by an exceptional player

It is exactly the 15th anniversary of Sir Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane via a landmark 235 without loss, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series and setting England on course toward their sole series victory down under in the past 38 years

Historic Achievement

It commenced of Cook's triumphant Australian campaign; three hundred-plus scores accumulating 766 runs

Wally Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign in this country

The English triumphed 3-1, with every win by an innings

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

Cook's Memories

"One tends to forget the challenging periods, the nervousness and anxiety accompanying that success," the cricketer reflects

"I reflect proudly. My contribution was substantial in a tournament that saw the English secured a 3-1 victory down under where each victory was achieved comprehensively"

The Road to Greatness

His journey toward Australian glory began 18 months earlier at the end of the 2009 series in the UK

Despite English victory, the opening batsman scored under 25 per innings with just one score over fifty

He wanted more

"Cricket is a team game, personal performance creates the sensation like you want to pull your weight," he notes

Skill Development

Just 48 hours following the victory celebrations, he was back hitting hundreds and hundreds of balls in the nets alongside Graham Gooch

The initial results proved positive

Cook made three hundreds on the 2009-10 winter tours to South Africa and Bangladesh

Pivotal Instances

Upon his return to British conditions for the 2010 summer, Cook performed poorly

In eight innings facing these opponents, his best performance totaled just 29 runs

Without runs after the second day's play during the final Test facing Pakistan in London, the batsman felt certain it might be his concluding international appearance before being dropped

"I found myself in the hospitality area, attempting to discover the resolution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he admits

Decisive Instance

His century guaranteed his seat for the Australian tour

Preparation continued with two victories and one draw during preparatory contests on Australian soil

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

Historic Partnership

Just before the end of the third day, the opening pair opened England's second innings trailing by 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, our discussions," says Cook

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 in their partnership

His unbeaten 235 stood as the best performance by an Englishman down under since the 1930s

Complete Control

England capitalised on a remarkable opening session during the following Test in Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off Michael Clarke, the score read 2-3 and couldn't recover

He continued his Brisbane success through a 148-run innings in a Test remembered highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian attack

Ultimate Victory

Victory was possible the series in Western Australia, only for Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble he would cause four years later

The subsequent events included perhaps England's single greatest day in Ashes history down under

In Melbourne, the enormous ground of Australian cricket, during Boxing Day, the Australian team were dismissed for 98

"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. There was disbelief as the day ended," recalls Cook

Ultimate Success

Motivated by purpose to claim victory, Cook excelled once more at the Sydney Cricket Ground

His 189 lifted England to 644, their record innings during Australian Tests

The question was not whether England would triumph both match and urn, rather when

"The environment was electric," says Cook

"After Tremlett dismissed Michael Beer to claim triumph, it represented an instant of pure elation"

Historical Significance

The batsman received top accolades

The remaining seven years of his cricket journey included additional achievements

Post-cricket career, he received a knighthood for sporting achievements

"{I couldn't have played any better|