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The Queensland capital isn't a city to give England crucial confidence in the series

After defeat by the hosts during the opening match, the tourists need to regroup ahead of visiting the Gabba, a stadium where the English haven't triumphed for decades

Men wearing three lions have often become lambs to the slaughter at this challenging venue

The Inspirational Success

Among a recent history of broken English hopes, aspirations and players is a source of inspiration delivered by an exceptional player

This marks a decade and a half after Sir Alastair Cook dominated in Brisbane with a career-defining 235 without loss, rescuing the opening match from the 2010-11 series paving England's path toward their sole series victory down under over nearly four decades

Record-Breaking Performance

It was the beginning of Cook's triumphant circumnavigation of Australia; three centuries and 766 runs

The legendary Hammond remains the sole English player to score more runs during a Test series on Australian soil

The English triumphed 3-1, with all victories through innings victories

The team hasn't secured success at this venue since that historic campaign

Personal Reflections

"You forget the challenging periods, the apprehension and concern that went into that," the cricketer reflects

"With pride I remember. My contribution was substantial in a tournament that saw the English secured a 3-1 victory on Australian soil with every match came through innings wins"

Path to Success

The path toward Australian glory started a year and a half before at the end of the 2009 series in the UK

Despite English victory, the opening batsman had an average below 25 with just one score above 50

He wanted more

"Cricket is a team game, individual contribution creates the sensation that personal responsibility matters," he explains

Game Improvement

Two days after the celebrations, he was back at work facing countless of balls in the nets with Graham Gooch

The initial results showed promise

He scored three hundred-run innings on overseas campaigns to South Africa and Bangladesh

Crucial Turning Points

When Cook returned to home soil for that year's summer, the batsman performed poorly

During eight batting opportunities facing these opponents, his best performance totaled just 29 runs

Scoreless overnight following the second day's play in the third match facing Pakistan at the famous ground, Cook believed this would be his final Test performance ahead of potential omission

"There I was in the bar, attempting to discover the answer through drinking," he reveals

Critical Moment

Cook's 110 guaranteed his seat for the Australian tour

England continued their preparations through successful warm-ups of their warm-up games down under

When the first Test arrived at the famous ground, they were hit by three wickets from Siddle

Memorable Collaboration

An hour before the end of the third day, the opening pair opened England's second innings with a deficit of 221 runs

They reached 19-0 by day's end and followed up through a demonstration engraved in cricket memory

"My memory doesn't retain the messages, our conversations," Cook remembers

The opening pair contributed 188 in their partnership

The 235 without dismissal stood as the best performance achieved by a Briton in Australia for 82 years

Series Dominance

England exploited an astonishing first morning during the following Test in Adelaide

When Anderson also nicked off the opposition player, Australia were 2-3 and couldn't recover

The batsman proceeded his Brisbane heroics by scoring 148 during a memorable Test for Kevin Pietersen dismantling the Australian attack

The Final Triumph

Victory was possible the series in Western Australia, only for Mitchell Johnson to indicate the trouble that would come later

The subsequent events included perhaps England's single greatest day during Ashes competition in Australia

At the MCG, the enormous ground of Australian sport, on the holiday, the Australian team collapsed to 98 all out

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

The Final Victory

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

The 189-run innings helped England reach 644, their highest total on Australian soil

The uncertainty wasn't whether England would triumph both match and urn, but the timing

"The feeling was unbelievable," Cook remembers

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

Legacy and Recognition

He earned series honors

The subsequent seven years in his international career featured further accomplishments

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

"{I couldn't have played any better|