West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul has admitted that it is an honour to have passed Sir Garfield Sobers on the team’s list of top run-getters in Test cricket, cricket365.com reported on its web site on Thursday.

Chanderpaul hit 76 in the drawn Test against New Zealand in Dunedin to pass Sobers’ record as the third-highest run-scorer for the West Indies, before the start of the second Test yesterday, needed another 464 runs to displace Viv Richards from second place.

"He set the milestone with 8032 runs and in his era it took a long time to reach that," Chanderpaul said of Sobers. "He set the standard and paved the way.

"All of us cannot be like Sir Garry. When you hear the name and when you see him, the goal is to be like him, " Chanderpaul was quoted as having said.

With rain ruling out a result at the University Oval last week, Chanderpaul is focused on helping the West Indies to a series-clinching victory in the second Test, which got underway in Napier yesterday.

"I never look too far ahead. I just try to keep it simple and stay as calm as possible. I keep putting in the hard work day in, day out," he was quoted as having said of his approach.

"I’m work on my balance a lot. Once it’s working I just stick with it. I also try to work on my strengths and try to make them better.

"We played pretty well in the first Test and we will be looking to do the same in the second match here in Napier.

"From the experience we had here the last time the pitch played pretty well. I had a look at it and there is a bit of grass. It should be a good pitch, but whether it is good or not we have to go out there and play well."