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Brisbane hasn't been a place that offers the English team badly required Ashes optimism

After defeat by the Australian side during the opening match, the visiting team have to bounce back before heading to the famous Gabba, a venue where victory has eluded England for over thirty years

Players representing England have habitually been outmatched opponents in Brisbane

A Shining Knight's Triumph

Among a recent history of broken English hopes, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale achieved by a shining knight

It is exactly a decade and a half after the legendary Cook mastered the Gabba via a landmark 235 not out, rescuing the opening match of 2010-11 paving England's path toward their sole series victory on Australian soil over nearly four decades

Unforgettable Series

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

The legendary Hammond is the only Englishman with higher run totals in a series on Australian soil

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

They have not won a Test here since that memorable series

Cook's Memories

"People overlook the difficult moments, the tension and worry that went into that," Cook remembers

"I look back with pride. I made an important impact in a series when England won 3-1 on Australian soil and all three games came through innings wins"

Path to Success

Cook's road to down under success commenced well before following that year's Ashes on home soil

Though England triumphed, the opening batsman had an average below 25 achieving merely one performance above 50

He wanted more

"While cricket involves teamwork, the individuality does make you feel like you want to pull your weight," he explains

Game Improvement

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

Beginning performances proved positive

Cook made three hundred-run innings on overseas campaigns to South Africa and Bangladesh

Crucial Turning Points

Upon his return to British conditions during the 2010 season, the left-hander performed poorly

During eight batting opportunities against Bangladesh and Pakistan, his top innings totaled just 29 runs

Scoreless overnight after day two during the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval, Cook believed it might be his last Test innings before being dropped

"There I was in the hospitality area, trying to find the solution in the bottom of a beer bottle," he reveals

Critical Moment

The 110-run innings guaranteed his seat on the plane to Australia

Preparation continued with two victories and one draw in practice matches in Australia

Come the first Test in Brisbane, they were hit by Peter Siddle's hat-trick

Memorable Collaboration

An hour before the third day's close, the opening pair began England's second batting effort trailing by 221 runs

They reached 19-0 by day's end and proceeded with a performance engraved in cricket memory

"I don't remember the messages, our conversations," Cook remembers

Both left-handed batsmen accumulated 188 runs in their partnership

The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance by an Englishman in Australia in eight decades

Series Dominance

England exploited a remarkable opening session of the second Test at Adelaide

After Anderson also dismissed Michael Clarke, the score read 2-3 and struggled throughout

Cook followed up his Brisbane success through a 148-run innings in a Test remembered featuring Pietersen's destruction of the opposition bowlers

Series Conclusion

The English might have secured the series in Western Australia, only for Mitchell Johnson to foreshadow the havoc he would cause four years later

What followed was perhaps England's single greatest day of Ashes cricket on Australian soil

In Melbourne, the massive stadium of sports down under, on the holiday, the home side were dismissed for 98

"If Carlsberg did Boxing Days, this was it. Amazement prevailed at the end of the day," Cook remembers

The Final Victory

Driven by determination to secure the Ashes, Cook was at it again in Sydney

His score of 189 contributed to England's 644, their highest total on Australian soil

The debate didn't concern if victory would come both match and urn, but the timing

"The environment was electric," recalls Cook

"When Tremlett got Michael Beer to secure victory, that was a time of complete happiness"

Legacy and Recognition

Cook was player of the series

The remaining seven years of his Test career were illuminated by other milestones

After retiring internationally, Cook was knighted for services to cricket

"{I couldn't have played any better|