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

After defeat by the Australian side during the opening match, the tourists must stir themselves before heading to Brisbane's Gabba, a venue where victory has eluded England for decades

Players representing England have habitually been outmatched opponents at the Gabbatoir

The Inspirational Success

Within recent memory of dashed English dreams, aspirations and players is a source of inspiration delivered by a cricket hero

Today commemorates the 15th anniversary of the legendary Cook dominated in Brisbane via a landmark unbeaten 235, saving the first Test during that famous series establishing England's trajectory toward their sole series victory on Australian soil during recent memory

Record-Breaking Performance

This marked the start of his successful tour of Australia; three hundreds totaling 766 runs

The legendary Hammond is the only Englishman who has made more runs throughout a campaign on Australian soil

Victory came 3-1, with all victories by an innings

England hasn't achieved a Test victory there since that historic campaign

Personal Reflections

"You forget the challenging periods, the nervousness and anxiety involved in that achievement," Cook remembers

"With pride I remember. I played a significant part during a campaign where the English secured a 3-1 victory in Australia with every match was achieved comprehensively"

Path to Success

The path to his Australian epic began 18 months earlier after that year's Ashes in England

England won, Cook had an average below 25 with just one score over fifty

He desired better

"Cricket is a team game, individual contribution generates the feeling like you want to pull your weight," he notes

Technical Transformation

Two days after the celebrations, he was back at work facing countless deliveries in practice alongside Graham Gooch

The initial results were encouraging

Cook made three centuries on the 2009-10 winter tours against South African and Bangladeshi teams

Pivotal Instances

When Cook returned to British conditions for the 2010 summer, the left-hander struggled significantly

In eight innings versus Bangladesh and Pakistan, his highest score was 29

On nought not out following day two of the third Test against Pakistan at The Oval, the batsman felt certain he was playing his final Test performance before being dropped

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

Critical Moment

Cook's 110 secured his place for the Australian tour

England continued their preparations with two victories and one draw of their warm-up games in Australia

As the opening match began at the Gabba, they encountered Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Historic Partnership

Just before the end of the third day, Cook and Strauss opened England's second innings trailing by 221 runs

The score stood at 19-0 when play concluded and followed up with an exhibition etched in Ashes folklore

"I cannot recall any instructions, our conversations," says Cook

Both left-handed batsmen contributed 188 together

His unbeaten 235 represented the top score from an English player in Australia since the 1930s

Total Command

The English took advantage of an astonishing first morning during the following Test in South Australia

When Anderson also nicked off the Australian batsman, Australia were 2-3 and never recovered

Cook followed up his Brisbane heroics by scoring 148 during a memorable Test highlighting Pietersen's dominance over the Australian attack

Series Conclusion

England could have retained the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc that would come later

What followed was possibly England's finest day of Ashes cricket on Australian soil

At the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 100,000-seater cathedral of sports down under, and on Boxing Day, the hosts were dismissed for 98

"If perfection existed for Boxing Day, it was that. There was disbelief when play concluded," recalls Cook

Ultimate Success

Fuelled by the focus to secure the Ashes, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney

His 189 helped England reach 644, their highest total in a Test in Australia

The uncertainty wasn't whether England would triumph the game and series, but the timing

"The atmosphere was incredible," recalls Cook

"After Tremlett dismissed Michael Beer to win the match, that was a time of absolute joy"

Historical Significance

Cook was player of the series

The following seven seasons in his international career featured further accomplishments

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for sporting achievements

"{I couldn't have played any better|