Before the third Ashes began, spot-fixing rumour dampened the mood but once the action began it was another brilliant Ashes cricket in the raw.
In a must-win match, England started off slowly, losing Cook and Joe Root wickets cheaply as host took control early on but a brilliant partnership between Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow steered England back into the match.
Malan struck his maiden Test century and combined in a dominant 174-run unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with promoted No.6 Jonny Bairstow to leave England 305-4 and well-placed going into the second day.