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The Queensland capital isn't a city to give England badly required Ashes optimism

Following the loss to the Australian side in the first Test, the visiting team need to regroup for a trip to the Gabba, a stadium where victory has eluded England since 1986

English cricketers have often become easy prey in Brisbane

Cook's Memorable Achievement

Throughout modern times of dashed English dreams, hopes and athletes exists a motivational tale achieved by an exceptional player

Today commemorates a decade and a half after Sir Alastair Cook mastered the Gabba through a defining 235 without loss, saving the first Test of 2010-11 paving England's path for their unique Ashes triumph in Australia over nearly four decades

Record-Breaking Performance

It commenced of Cook's triumphant tour of Australia; three hundred-plus scores and 766 runs

The legendary Hammond is the only Englishman to score more runs in a series in this country

The English triumphed 3-1, with all victories by an innings

England hasn't achieved success at this venue since that memorable series

Cook's Memories

"You forget the challenging periods, the tension and worry that went into that," Cook remembers

"With pride I remember. I played a significant part in a tournament that saw the English secured a 3-1 victory in Australia and all three games was achieved comprehensively"

Journey to Excellence

His journey toward Australian glory started a year and a half before after the 2009 series in England

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

He desired better

"Despite cricket's collective nature, individual contribution generates the feeling like you want to pull your weight," he explains

Technical Transformation

Two days after the celebrations, he was back practicing numerous deliveries in practice with Graham Gooch

Early outcomes showed promise

The batsman achieved three hundreds on overseas campaigns against South African and Bangladeshi teams

Pivotal Instances

When Cook returned to British conditions during the 2010 season, Cook performed poorly

During eight batting opportunities facing these opponents, his top innings was 29

On nought not out at the end of day two in the third match facing Pakistan at The Oval, the batsman felt certain it might be his last Test innings prior to selection

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

The Turning Point

Cook's 110 ensured his position in the squad down under

The team maintained preparations by winning two and drawing one of their warm-up games down under

As the opening match began at the Gabba, they faced a Siddle hat-trick

Memorable Collaboration

Shortly prior to day three's conclusion, Cook and Strauss opened England's second innings needing to overcome 221 runs

They reached 19-0 by day's end then continued with a performance remembered in Ashes history

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

The opening pair contributed 188 in their partnership

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

Series Dominance

The English took advantage of an incredible start of the second Test at Adelaide

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

Cook followed up his Queensland achievement through a 148-run innings in a famous match for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the opposition bowlers

Ultimate Victory

The English might have secured the Ashes in Perth, but Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble that would come later

Then came arguably England's best performance in Ashes history on Australian soil

In Melbourne, the 100,000-seater cathedral of Australian cricket, and on Boxing Day, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

"For ideal Boxing Days, it was that. There was disbelief at the end of the day," says Cook

Ultimate Success

Motivated by purpose to secure the Ashes, the batsman performed brilliantly in Sydney

The 189-run innings helped England reach 644, their best score during Australian Tests

The uncertainty wasn't if victory would come the match and the Ashes, but the timing

"The environment was electric," Cook remembers

"When Tremlett got the last player to claim triumph, it represented an instant of pure elation"

Legacy and Recognition

He earned series honors

The following seven seasons of his Test career were illuminated by other milestones

Following his international retirement, he was honored for cricket contributions

"{I couldn't have played any better|