A Round of Applause for Pujara

One could have sliced the tension in the air, with a knife, that day. The crowd waited with abated breath, for the verdict and once the conclusion was reached broke into ear-drum shattering applause. Cheteshwar Pujara had scored a triple hundred, a second in First Class Cricket. The triple hundred is in fact the fifth in Cheteshwar Pujara’s profile. He had previously attained a similar number once at the Under-14 level, twice at the Under-22 level and twice more in the Ranji trophy tournaments.

The amazing feat could not have transpired at a more appropriate time- just days before the upcoming One Day International series against England. The achievement not only secured him a spot in the Indian cricket team, but also will hold his position in good stead prior to facing the Brits at the ODIs. The right handed batsman, who usually takes his own time at the crease, showed he is all serious business when he brought out his aggressive side to slam 352 runs off 527 balls, which is incidentally the highest a Ranji trophy player has ever scored. Previously he was the highest scorer of the Indian team that toured England during the summer of 2010.

Cheteshwar Pujara has always proved that he is not without mettle since his foray into the cricketing franchise. He scored his very first triple century for local side Saurashtra at the National U-14 tournament, when he was just twelve years of age. He has maintained a consistency in his game since then, which is more than what you can say for some of the so called prolific players of Indian cricket team. He made his Under-19 Test debut against the England team in 2005. He helped India to victory by scoring 211 runs. Then came the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, in which he was adjudged the leading run scorer with 349 runs from 6 innings. He scored his first International test century against New Zealand on 23 August 2012. But it was not until his ‘second debut’ that he began to be accepted as a regular in the squad.

He has also played Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders for the first three seasons. After this he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011 but a knee injury rendered him inactive for nearly a year. With Rahul Dravid and V.V.S Laxman out of the picture, India looks to this talented player to fill in the shoe of the next best middle order batsman.

On Board the Property Buzz in St Lucia

While ownership of foreign property has traditionally been seen as something reserved only for the super wealthy, with the recent stabilisation of the global economy there’s been a distinct buzz growing around St Lucia, in The Caribbean, in terms of investment opportunities.

So what is it that international buyers find so appealing about the prospect of investing in property in St Lucia?

The Price of Luxury

While the price of property in St Lucia has risen in the past few years, the global crisis certainly slowed things down – meaning it’s still a buyer’s market. The high-end luxury residential end of the property market is the strongest, and while it’s considered one of the most beautiful of all the islands in The Caribbean, prices are considerably lower (up to 40-60%) than, for example, Barbados.

Tax Incentives

Renowned as a tax haven, the island offers some very attractive tax concessions for foreign investors. The government has also recently announced a scheme where residents can apply for citizenship if they can prove a minimum net worth of US$3 million – opening them up to further benefits.

Accessibility

With regular direct flights from the UK (flight time of around nine hours), the US, Canada and some European destinations, the island is one of the most accessible in The Caribbean.

Standard of Living

A stable economy and government, low crime rates, and an affordable cost of living, make the island an ideal environment for investors – whether to pursue business interests or lifestyle options. Its enduring popularity as a growth tourism destination, along with a modern telecommunications infrastructure and high-quality healthcare system, afford it one of the most desirable standards of living in the Caribbean region.

Lifestyle and Opportunities

With an economy based on tourism and primarily focused around its own extensive natural assets, property investment can be appealing in terms of both lifestyle (for retirees, for example) and related business opportunities, including retail, cultural attractions, events, ecotourism and accommodation. The freedom to repatriate profits is also extremely appealing to foreign investors with commercial interests.

The Property

But the biggest reason for the buzz around investing in property in St Lucia is, of course, the value and quality of what’s available to purchase, and over the past decade a number of high-end luxury residential developments have changed the landscape of the property market.

One such development (completed in 2007) is The Landings, in the north of the island at Rodney Bay – the island’s first and most prestigious private residential yacht harbour. Its unique freehold status, private marina facilities, and the opulence of its 5-star luxury resort lifestyle continues to attract foreign investment, with around 70% of the villas and penthouses in the development owned by Brits.

Other residential developments around the island include Marquis Estate, The Seaside, Cotton Bay, The Tides, and Allamanda.

Blessed with a stunning natural beauty, a highly accessible luxury lifestyle and, of course, an abundance of sunshine, the buzz around investing in property in St Lucia is loud and getting louder…

India in A 2-1 Lead Over England

The stage was set and both the tensions and stakes were high. The score card was leveled with a victory to either team’s name. When the England cricket team scored 325-4 in the first ODI, it was a proud locker room moment for everyone involved. Even though they had just about nine runs over the Indian squad, the victory gave them a starting lead in the five match series.

Another reason why it was important to celebrate their victory in all its glory was because it was England’s first victory in 14 away matches against their staunch rivals. They won the toss, and the decision to bat first definitely turned out to be fortunate enough for the lot. Ian Bell and Alastair Cook took 158 runs in the opening stand, a combined effort with their 85 and 75 runs respectively. The timely wickets helped the team cement their victory against the Indian cricket team. After their win at Rajkot, England geared up for a similar encounter with the Indians in Kochi, but it seemed like God’s own country proved unlucky for the tourists who were at the receiving end of the competitive vengeance of the Indian cricket team. The home team won the match by an astounding 127 run margin, regarded as the second highest margin of victory against the England cricket team.

This leveled the series 1-1. Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 72 runs from 66 balls, a feat that earned the praise of the ‘best skipper in the world’ from his English counterpart, Cook, was only preceded by Ravindra Jadeja`s top ranking 61 runs from 37 balls. It’s a no brainer why Jadeja was conferred the man of the match that day. The only silver lining for the English was latest record incorporated into Alastair Cook profile – that of the youngest batsman to reach 7,000 Test runs. Proud moment for the captain and the left handed opening batsman. He was appointed Captain of the England test team following Andrew Strauss’s retirement. He had prepped up his team and boosted their confidence since their crushing defeat in Kochi, to face the Indian team at Ranchi, on 19th January, in the third ODI of the England tour series.

But home soil proved fortunate for Indian who won the match by 7 wickets. Virat Kohli who was adjudged the Man of the Match, secured 77 runs. Now both teams brace themselves for the next ODI in the series set to take place at Mohali, on 23rd January.