BRIDGETOWN, Barbados:

THE ENERGISER Bunny just keeps on going and going and going …

The Energiser Tiger just keeps on batting and batting and batting …

Nicknamed 'Tiger' early in his career by Curtly Ambrose for some locker room flare-up, Shivnarine Chanderpaul has become the scourge of bowlers all around the world over the past year.

The little Guyanese lefthander doesn't kill bowling attacks with 'licks', he just grinds them down with an unflappable temperament and a rock-solid technique.

Full of praise'

After yesterday's undefeated 79 which pushed his series aggregate to 392 and average to a whopping 196, WI coach John Dyson was again full of praise for his star bat.

"Shiv batted beautifully again, as Shiv always does, so that's a positive … you expect your main players to contribute and make major contributions - which he always does," Dyson said. "Unfortunately, so far in this series, some of the lesser-profile players haven't made a contribution to support that," he said.

Australian paceman Mitchell Johnson said his side does have plans to get 'Tiger' out, they just are not working too well.

"Boy, he's hard to get out. At times today I was trying to get him off the strike but Stuart (Clark) told me to bowl a good line and length to him and we may just get him out," said Johnson. "We have a plan to bowl down the channel outside off stump to him and try to limit his strokes, but he's just such a good player."

Since the West Indies tour of England last English summer, Chanderpaul has established himself as the most difficult scalp to claim in Test cricket while advancing up the ICC batting standings to a career-high of five.

His statistics from the West Indian series against England (away), South Africa (away), Sri Lanka (home) and now Australia (home) tell the tale all by themselves: vs England: Three Tests, 446 runs, two centuries, average 148.66; vs South Africa: Three Tests, 247 runs, one century, average 82.83; vs Sri Lanka: Two matches, 130 runs, no centuries, average 43.33; vs Australia (to date): Three matches, 392 runs, one century, average 196.00.

His share of not outs

Of course, batting at five in the order, the 33-year-old has had more than his share of not outs, but in the figures listed above (not including Australia) he topped the run aggregate twice (England and SA) and the averages twice (England and SL).

Barring a minor miracle from a teammate in this Test, he will comfortably claim 'the double' against the world champion Aussies.

Tiger's not the best batsman in the world to watch and his initial, crab-like stance before moving into perfect position looks ungainly, if not straight up ugly, but that doesn't matter much if you are the hardest batman in the world to dismiss and you just bat on and on and on …

- Tym Glaser