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It says much for the unrelenting nature of modern international cricket that, just as Stuart Broad reaches a milestone deserving of reflection and reward, he also embarks on a daunting new challenge.Success in India is one of the few holes in Broads record that will, from Wednesday, include 100 Test caps. Yes, he was a member of the squad that won here in 2012 but he didnt take a wicket in the series and was hampered by injury throughout. He has bowled well in the UAE, Australia (he was Englands best bowler in the 2013-14 Ashes), South Africa and, of course, England. But if he has anything to prove to anyone anywhere, it is surely in India.We have, perhaps, become somewhat inured to these 100-cap milestones. There have been so many of late with Broad following James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell to the landmark from the England team that made it to No. 1 in the Test rankings.But Cook tells an interesting story from the Barbados Test of 2015. Realising his Test career was over, Jonathan Trott asked to speak to the team at the end of the game. He had, he said, come to understand that the England cap was the best thing youll ever wear. The gap between his 49th and 50th caps - Brisbane 2013 to Antigua 2015 in his case - had been life-changing and had brought home to him the value of each and every one. It had reminded him how hard they were to earn, how some were soaked in champagne, others in tears and all of them in sweat. It had taught him that every one is precious and represented a terrific achievement. To have earned 100 can only be the reflection of an outstanding career.Broad becomes the 14th England player to reach the milestone but just the third seamer. Only Ian Botham and James Anderson have taken more Test wickets for England. The averages, strike-rates and economy-rates of all three are almost identical.And Broad is only 30. He aims, he says, to play in at least two more Ashes series - an aspiration that would take him up to the end of the 2019 English season - and retains hopes of regaining a place in the ODI side. He may well finish as Englands leading Test wicket-taker.His importance to England has rarely been greater. In the absence of Anderson, he is required to lead the attack in Rajkot which will involve not just striking with the new ball, but gaining reverse with the old. His use of cutters has improved immensely over recent years - not least the one that saw Asad Shafiq slice to point in the most recent Old Trafford Test - and he has, he says, benefited from a couple of weeks in the nets of late to rediscover his outswinger.The last time Broad played in a Test series here he was replaced by Steven Finn after the first two Tests. At the time, the tour management let it be known they were not overwhelmed with Broads efforts but, subsequently, it transpired he had lacerated the fat pad in his left heel ahead of the first Test. I probably shouldnt have played that series, he says now. I wasnt fit.Perhaps that is an instructive episode. For Broad, like other highly-talented players before him, has the ability when at his best to make cricket look easy. With his height and frame, he sometimes looks as if he was born to bowl. And, like David Gower or Chris Lewis, the downside of such obvious natural talent is that, when he is not at his best, he can look as if he is not trying quite as hard as he might be.Its an impression that is largely corrected when you see him at close quarters. When you see the toenails ripped off by the pounding of his feet in delivery, when you see him diving full length to stop balls in the field, when you hear stories of the quiet encouragement he has given to other players who have been struggling, you come to the conclusion that he is utterly committed to the welfare of the team but that, at times, his body or his rhythm or his technique dont allow him to produce his best form. Theres no lack of effort.Has he achieved absolutely every target we had for him? Certainly the batting, that once shone with so much promise, has fallen away to the stage where hopes that he can ever be considered a true allrounder have long since been abandoned. And, at times, he has struggled to maintain the pace or away movement that characterise his bowling at its best. The years of operating in a four-man attack - alongside Anderson he was the most-bowled seamer in international cricket for several years - probably took their toll.He has certainly produced great spells. Seven times he has taken five wickets in a spell and several of them (The Oval, Trent Bridge, Durham and The Wanderers) have helped wrap up big series.He picks out two as his own favourites: the 8 for 15 against Australia on his home ground of Trent Bridge in 2015 - its two-and-a-half days Ill remember with huge fondness, he says - and the 6 for 17 at The Wanderers in early 2016. That stands out, he says, in such a tough and aggressive atmosphere to play in.Anderson, writing in a Daily Mail column, suggested he had seen him bowl even better. He highlighted the 7 for 44 against New Zealand at Lords in 2013 - it was a brutal spell, Anderson said, he looked threatening every ball - and the 5 for 37 on a flat wicket at The Oval in 2009 as Broads best. The fact that there are so many to choose from rather underlines Broads value.We are unlikely to see such spells on this tour. The Rajkot pitch, while not as dry as those seen in Bangladesh, is already cracked and the relatively lush outfield - there are no recently used pitches on the square - will do nothing to help bowlers find reverse swing.While a couple of England batsmen poured water across concrete wickets before practising - a technique they use to replicate the ball skidding on - in case the seamers play more of a role than anticipated, it remains likely that Broad and co. will generally be used in a holding role. To that end, he will have to bowl many tight overs in hot conditions with little prospect of great reward. Broad, once the poster boy of English cricket, now has the most unglamorous job of all.Broad himself referred to it as without a doubt the biggest challenge of his career.We are coming as massive underdogs, theres no doubt about that, he said. Obviously India have got to No.1 in the world and played some brilliant cricket here so were very aware this is a huge challenge. This is a tough place to come and play.Well have to learn very quickly. It was quite a tough experience, losing ten wickets in that one session in Dhaka, and actually, confidence is a tricky one to know because weve not had any warm-up games here to test out in the middle.But also weve got nothing to fear, because not many of our side have actually played cricket over here.This is a chance to show what I can do. I think I only bowled 25 overs in the series the last time we were here. It was a frustrating period for me, but I feel in a pretty good place at the moment. I feel Ive been a bit more consistent in the English summer without taking a big haul. Ive felt really good in the nets and Im excited to get going.If Broad successfully pulls off his role in this series, it will represent an impressive maturation. Gone are the days when he thought of himself as the sides enforcer; gone are the days when he would go missing for a couple of games (since May 2013, he has a Test bowling average of 24.93; Andersons is 24.07 over the same period); gone are the days when he strutted and sulked his way through spells in trying conditions.As his pace has diminished, his need for control and skill has increased and he has developed into an intelligent, skillful bowler whom his captain can rely upon not just to be the star, but to get his hands dirty and do the supporting work. His has been an excellent career and there are several more chapters in his story to be told. Wholesale Custom NFL Jerseys . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . Custom NFL Jerseys China . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. http://www.customjerseysnfl.com/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Cheap Custom Jerseys Online . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. Discount Custom Nike NFL Jerseys . You can watch the game live on TSN at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Flyers had won seven of eight before dropping their last two outings on consecutive days over the weekend. Philadelphia was handed a 6-3 loss by the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Rangers the following night in New York City.PHILADELPHIA -- Wide receiver Riley Cooper returned to the Philadelphia Eagles Tuesday after a four-day excused absence to undergo sensitivity training after he was caught on film yelling a racial slur before a Kenny Chesney concert. Cooper, in his fourth year out of the University of Florida, seemed remorseful during an eight-minute press conference with the media after the Eagles and New England Patriots began what will be a three-day practice routine before Friday nights preseason opener. "Its great to be back doing what I love to do, play football," Cooper said. "I realize being in the NFL you have responsibility to behave on and off the field. I realize that." "I realize how many people I hurt, how many families I hurt, how many kids I hurt. Its going to be tough. Im going to live with this every day the rest of my life. Its one of those things you cant let affect your play on the field." Video of Coopers racial slur surfaced Wednesday. He was immediately fined an undisclosed amount by the team, but was not suspended. Ironically, two days earlier he was promoted to the starting lineup after Jeremy Maclin suffered a season-ending injury. Last Friday, Eagles coach Chip Kelly announced that Cooper was given time off to seek counselling. Kelly did not put a timetable on his return. Four days later, he was back at practice and caught two touchdown passes against the Patriots defence. "My concern wasnt how he practiced," Kelly said after practice. "Its just him with the team itself and to get the chance to make sure he got to talk to every single guy so that they understood how we felt, what he did, and understand that hes truly sorry for what he did." Cooper said he talked to every one of his teammates, face to face, and apologized. "I told them I dont want you to forgive me. That puts the burden on you. I want it all on me. I apologized," he said. "They could tell it was from the heart. They know Im not that kind of persson.dddddddddddd It feels good to have the support of the guys." After one of his touchdown passes, he got a chest bump from teammate and fellow wide receiver Jason Avant, who is an African-American, and high fives from several other teammates. "I took a few days," he said. "Its been a tough, tough road. I talked to Chip. He asked me if Im ready to come back. I told him I was. I wanted to get back on the field and get back out here with my guys." Kelly emphasized that since the leave was an excused absence and not a suspension, Cooper was able to return once he felt he was ready. "I deferred to who he went to go visit with," Kelly said. "Again, it wasnt like he was suspended and he had to go through a set of things to come back. We just excused him, because everybody that met with him -- and Riley himself -- felt that he needed to go talk to someone." Kelly felt that going forward the team is in a good position with Cooper "Weve got a pretty good pulse on where we are right now," he said. "Our players have been fantastic with us in terms of feedback, so its really certainly a situation that, as I said, isnt something that we just kind of put in the back seat and get moving forward. Well make sure we keep our eyes and ears open and continue to monitor the situation." That includes owner Jeffrey Lurie, who issued the following statement, Tuesday. "I want to make this clear; the words Riley Cooper used were totally unacceptable. His words may have been directed at one person but they hurt everyone," Lurie wrote. "Riley has apologized to the team and community and has made a personal commitment to work hard to try and gain their trust and earn his position on the team." ------ NOTES: The practices with New England have allowed Eagles safety Patrick Chung to reunite with teammates from his Patriot days. He was drafted by New England in 2009. ... Wednesdays practice will start at noon EDT. ' ' '